Naruto - Battles of the Future
by The-Simple-Shadows
Summary: A story set 10 years after the events of the 4th great ninja war. It'll tell the story of Naruto's life and new threats that emerge along with his own personal life and family. It'll have some mature aspects but I'd say nothing more than is displayed in Shippuden. Enjoy guys! And always remember to leave feedback if you think something needs work!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One – Ten Years Passed**

Ten years. So much can change in Ten years. People grow up, change and mature. Some people pass on while entirely new lives are created, the entire world is in a constant state of flux.  
The Ninja world is no exception. Over the course of these 10 years the 4th Great Ninja War had been decided, bonds between nations had been strengthened and the world was enjoying a time of peace and tranquillity. This wasn't an easy thing to achieve, however. It was a long and difficult battle which took the combined power of the Allied Ninja Forces to defeat the corrupted Obito Uchiha and his manipulator, Madara Uchiha. While it has been told countless times that the allied shinobi had won that day, it would have been a very different story if not for the actions of a young ninja from Konoha. A hero who battled on against incredible odds to defeat the twisted Uchiha and the monstrous 10 Tailed Beast they controlled. His name? Naruto Uzumaki, the hero of the Leaf and the 4th Great Ninja War.  
In the time passed, Naruto had matured and grown in to a fine young man and a powerful ninja. He had witnessed the death of many in the war, including the deaths of some of his closest friends. This only strengthened his resolve however, and in the end he dedicated his life to peace in memory of his fallen comrades.  
He had also found love in that war, of all places. During the penultimate battle, the final fight to decide the fate of the ninja world, the Hyuga heiress Hinata Hyuga had confessed her love to the young Uzumaki. Fearful that it may be the last chance she would get. Given Naruto's usual obliviousness to such matters though, it took some gentle 'persuasion' from his good friend Sakura Haruno and her fists for him to put two and two together after the battle had been won.

The next few years had been dedicated to rebuilding the nations ravaged by the war and ensuring the new alliance of the five great nations was upheld. It didn't take much to keep the peace however, with everyone's minds fresh with the memories of battle. The five Kage would even hold regular meetings to share information, training methods and offer recourses and man power to struggling nations. It truly was unheard of for such a peace to exist between the great nations.  
The new Tsuchikage Kurotsuchi, granddaughter of the former Tsuchikage Onoki, had done a fantastic job of learning how to lead while assisting in the alliances needs since taking up the position. Her Grandfather had unfortunately been killed in one of the most ferocious battles of the war when the five Kage took on Madara Uchiha. In that same battle, the current Hokage Tsunade, had been badly wounded. Having taken on Madara with all of her strength, she found herself bisected on the battle field. It had been a wonder of medical ninjutsu that she had survived, and a testament to her own skills as a ninja.  
With the nations progressing well and the Kage getting along well with each other, life returned to a very normal state in the ninja world. Missions would still be handed out to the nation's ninja, but battles against other villages had become a thing of the past, rebuilding and escort missions now being the norm.  
And it's in this new era of peace that we rejoin our young hero, Naruto Uzumaki, through the hardships ahead.

Three men stood back to back in a small field, each one poised and ready to attack at a moment's notice. Their eyes scanning each detail of the landscape, ears picking up every minute sound and noses detecting any new scent, they were ready for anything.  
With a sudden rustle from the leaves of a tree, a kunai flew towards the group with lightning speed, each man scattering out of its path.  
"Do you see him?" questioned one of the men,  
"No!" was the reply from another.  
While these two scoured the trees for their attacker, the third man span back to face the thrown kunai, only to see a bright burst of orange light envelop it.  
"Here! Take formation!" he ordered his comrades, as they quickly took to their positions around the knife.  
As the light faded a figure flashed in to view in front them, quick to act as it sped towards one of the men, knocking him to the ground with one swift movement. Another burst of light and the figure was in position behind another of the men, taking him down with just as much ease.  
"Just you left…Kakashi sensei." Spoke the mysterious figure.  
"You work fast, I'll give you that…" Kakashi said, taking a more defendable position with his back against a rock. He slowly raised his hand to his headband, which was lowered over his right eye,  
"Well, I guess I have no choice but to use this. Mangekyou Sharingan!"  
And with those words he revealed his hidden eye, now roaming the battlefield for any trace of movement.  
With a sound like a crack of lightning, the figure reappeared above Kakashi ready to strike,  
"Sorry sensei, but you're to slow! Rasengan!" And with that, the battle was over in a cloud of dust and fragmented rock.  
"Phew. Think you over did that a little, Naruto?" joked one of the other men as he approached to help Kakashi out of his newly created crater.  
"Heh, maybe a little. What can I say, I got carried away." The young Uzumaki responded. Rubbing the back of his head in a nervous manner,  
"But Kakashi sensei has been through worse than one of my rasengans, Gai sensei. And I managed to take you and Captain Yamato down with just blows to the head! What's up with that?" he questioned, seemingly curious as to how he'd taken down his former teachers with such ease.  
"Because you're still in your Bijuu mode, Naruto…" interjected a rather injured looking Yamato.  
This seemed to get the expected reaction out of Naruto however,  
"I am..? Gah! Sorry about that Sensei! Kurama wanted to try out a new chakra technique and I guess we went a bit overboard."  
Their attention was quickly drawn to Kakashi climbing his way out of the crater in front of them, with Gai's help,  
"Well Naruto, we're not as young as we used to be either. You've become a powerful ninja too, more powerful than any of us." Kakashi looked as if he was about to continue, but the four men were interrupted by the sound of applause from the nearby tree line. Slowly stepping out from the shaded trees was the Hokage Tsunade and her aids Sakura and Shizune. All three seemingly impressed with Naruto's swift victory.  
"Well done, Naruto. That was fine display of your new jutsu!" Praised the Hokage, followed by short nods from Sakura and Shizune.  
"Heh, thanks Grandma! All that training paid off I guess." It was no secret that Naruto didn't really know how to react to compliments, this being evident right now as he rubbed the back of his head again and smiled broadly.  
"M'lady, we should probably get back to the village. It's late and I'm sure Naruto and the others have things to do." Sakura said, joining the conversation.  
"Ah, you're probably right Sakura. Kakashi, Gai, Yamato you're dismissed. Naruto, I'd like to have a word with you before you leave."  
With a bow from the three senior ninjas, they took off back to the village for a well earned rest, Naruto however remained, slightly concerned as to why Tsunade would need to speak to him.  
Clearing her throat, the Hokage started,  
"Naruto, you've come along way these past few years. And you have been nothing short of a miracle in helping with the allied forces and rebuilding the damaged villages," Tsunade paused for a moment, looking to her two aids for a second  
"That is why I have decided to begin training you…To become the next Hokage!"  
Admittedly they were expecting a different sort of reaction from Naruto, his face frozen in a huge grin as he fell backwards to the ground.  
"…So I'm guessing that was a yes?" Tsunade said, slightly confused.  
"Oh yeah. That was a yes," Chuckled Sakura.

When Naruto opened his eyes again, he was greeted by the sight of Hinata, her own eyes tearing up slightly. He felt like he had just taken one of Sakura's punches to the head, funny he could have sworn Tsunade had just told him he was going to be Hokage.  
"Naruto! Are you okay? Sakura called me here when they couldn't wake you up…" Hinata's voice was shaky from worry. While she may have overcome her stuttering, she was still a very nervous person.  
"Yeah…I'm fine…I think. I just thought that Grandma Tsunade told me I was going to be Hokage…" Naruto grinned, sure that he had just misheard the Hokage.  
"Erm, actually…Naruto…She did say that…" Hinata said while pushing her index fingers together.  
"She...Wait…What?" Was all he managed to stammer out.  
That being enough to send Naruto back in to fainting, well if it hadn't been for Sakura,  
"Oh no you don't!" She yelled, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him until he was well and truly awake.  
"O-o-o-okay! S-s-s-sakura! I'm awake!

It was a long conversation that followed, with Tsunade explaining that she had become too old to defend the village and that Naruto had proven himself on more than enough occasions to become Hokage. She explained in detail how Naruto would have to spend the next few months training with her to not only ramp up his own strength, but learn how to manage and lead the village. This caused Naruto some concern however, as there was something very important that he would have to attend to over the coming months. His wife, Hinata, was currently pregnant with their first child. This wasn't something he could just ignore, in fact it was something that he was almost going overboard with.  
"But Granny, I can't just drop everything for this now…I have other commitments…" He said speaking up and looking nervously to his also very nervous wife. This was a delicate subject, seeing as the couple had still to announce Hinata's pregnancy. They wanted to at least allow Hinata's father to know before the rest of the village and their friends. He approved of their marriage but he was still a very strict and traditional man, the last thing they wanted to do was upset or anger him.  
However, as if sensing their reservations, Tsunade erupted in to laughter. Taking both Sakura and Shizune by shock and causing them to recoil.  
"Don't worry you two, I already know about your…Situation." The Hokage said with a sly smile.  
In hindsight, it may have been better to handle this with just the two of them, as now they were on the brink of a nervous breakdown.  
"Wait…But…How!? We've only just found out ourselves, how could you have found out!?" Said Naruto as he launched in to a barrage of questions, which did nothing to faze the elderly woman as she approached Hinata and rested a hand on her shoulder.  
Speaking to both of them with a smile she began,  
"Because I'm a medical ninja, after living this long you learn to spot these things fairly quickly. I couldn't call myself a medical ninja if I had failed to spot this! Don't worry you two, I won't tell anybody. That job is for you to enjoy."  
Her smile was so warm and honest that it even calmed the trembling Hinata, who was on the verge of one of her trademark panic attacks, after all some things never change. Turning back to her now utterly clueless aids, Tsunade began the walk back to the village, leaving the shocked young couple alone. Just before she was out of ear shot however, Tsunade gave one last request,  
"If you could give me your answer by the end of the week, I'd appreciate it Naruto."  
And with that they were gone. Leaving Naruto and Hinata to sit in awe of what had just transpired. Naruto Hokage? Hinata's pregnancy? Kurama's voice ringing in Naruto's head. Wait, that last one was new.  
"Naruto! Naruto! You know I don't like to be ignored!" Growled the nine tailed fox, who clearly displeased with Naruto's blanking of him. Even after all of the years they had been friends, Kurama still retained some of his beast like tendencies.  
"Sorry Kurama. That was just a lot to take in…I'm guessing you were paying attention to that?" Naruto asked the fox. Even after all of this time, Naruto still found it strange speaking to Kurama and no one else being able to hear him.  
"I was. This is what you've worked your whole life for Naruto. You can't pass this up…" the fox paused as he considered the other topic "…I understand your concern for Hinata, though. Your family is important to you. I know that well enough." He did know this all too well. Being able to feel Naruto's emotions over the years had given Kurama an insight in to just how much Naruto loved his family, given that he never had one of his own growing up.  
Naruto seemed to think on this for a moment before speaking, his eyes fixed on his wife. Eventually he came to a decision.  
"Come on Hinata. Let's go home." He said with his oh so familiar smile.  
The shaken Hinata couldn't argue with that decision, and so they both began the walk home from the training fields.  
"Naruto…That wasn't really the decision you should have been making." Kurama's voice echoed through Naruto's mind.  
"Well, Tsunade gave me a week, didn't she? There's no sense in rushing a decision like this when we have time to talk it over." Replied the jinchuuriki calmly.  
This side of Naruto was still something that shocked people. He really had matured from that knucklehead ninja of ten year ago.  
"Hey, Hinata?"  
"Yes, Naruto…?"  
"I bet I can beat you to Ichiraku's!"  
"B-but...Naruto!"

Well, maybe not as much as people think.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two – Old Friends**

It had been two days since Tsunade, the current Hokage, had informed Naruto that he had been chosen to succeed her. Over the course of these two days, Naruto and his wife Hinata had also decided to inform her father of her pregnancy, which had an unexpected reaction.  
It seems that Hinata's father, Hiashi Hyuga, was actually overjoyed at the prospect of his daughter having a child.  
"This is excellent news. Truly excellent." Hiashi always was one to be straight to the point.  
Given how had often treated Hinata with very little respect and care throughout her youth, the two were sceptical of how he would react to their marriage. As it turns out, Hiashi truly did care for his daughter, he was just very bad at showing it so to speak.  
Now with the prospect of a grandchild, he was showing a similar kind of reaction, subdued happiness. It was better than the alternative the couple supposed.  
"So, I take it the child will be properly cared for by his father, also?" Hiashi questioned. He was always sure to test Naruto at every opportunity.  
"Yes sir. I will care for this child as if my life depended on it. My family is something very precious to me…" replied Naruto. Obviously not fazed by the elder Hyuga's probing.  
"Very good then. I believe the two of you will make excellent parents." The reaction sounded…Happier? Than something Hiashi would speak. Looking to his face from the wooden floor boards they were currently staring at, the Uzumaki couple could see him…Smiling!?  
"Father…I. T-thank you." Hinata murmured, clearly taken aback by her father's reaction, as too was Naruto. Speechless was a more accurate description. He had never seen Hiashi smile, even at his and Hinata's wedding.  
After a brief discussion on how the young parents to be were handling the news, Hiashi bid them a farewell to inform the Hyuga clan's elders. Hinata was still a Hyuga after all.

That all took place yesterday however, and now the young couple were sat at home, still avoiding the obvious question, what to do about Tsunade's offer?  
It wasn't that Naruto didn't want to be Hokage, it was his dream his entire life. But his priorities had changed since marrying Hinata. He had her to care for and protect now. And soon they would have a child, too.  
As if sensing his thoughts, Hinata decided to put Naruto at ease.  
"Naruto…You know you have to do it, don't you?" This was a shock to Naruto. He had never expected Hinata to simply turn around and tell him to do it. He thought there would have to be some convincing first, at least!  
His slightly dazed stare was enough to tell her that she should continue,  
"Of course I'll miss you when you have your duties to attend to, and I'm sure our child will too. But this has been your dream for as long as I've known you. I won't let you give up on it now. And just because you'll be running the village doesn't mean our family will fall apart. I could even stay and help you around the office if you needed it. We could both live in the Hokage's mansion, you would always have time free to see us and I know that if you didn't, you would make the time." She spoke the last line with a warm smile, the smile that told Naruto he'd lost. She wouldn't let him give up on this, even if he wanted to.  
"You're right. This is the goal I've been working towards since I was born. And hey! If my dad could be Hokage and have a happy family, so can I! You listening dad!?" he mock shouted raising his fist to the sky.  
This almost childish display from her husband sent Hinata in to fit of giggles. Something Naruto often managed to accomplish. He loved to see her laugh, she always seemed to worry about things that needn't be worried over, and so laughter was Naruto's way of giving her a break from her worrying.  
After she had managed to calm down again, Naruto planted a kiss on her forehead and headed towards the door, extending his hand to Hinata,  
"So m'lady, should we take a walk about the town?" He said with an overly pompous accent.  
"Indeed we shall, M'lord." She replied, with an equally strange accent.  
They had grown a lot over the past years, and Hinata's shyness seemed to melt away around Naruto. They enjoyed joking with each other like this, acting like kids when nobody was around to see.  
Taking Naruto's arm, they left their home hand in hand and ventured out in to the village.

It was late afternoon now, the sun drifted lazily across the sky and its warmth enveloped everything below it. Everybody loved the summer, the warm weather and bright sun always seemed to raise everyone's sprits.  
Naruto and Hinata walked down the main street of the village, the Hokage's stone faces behind them and the Hokage's mansion in front. The mansion had been moved during the rebuilding of the village so that the stone faces and the entire village could be seen from its rooftop. It was still fairly busy in the street, people wandering from store to store, inspecting the various stalls set out along the street edge. Deciding that they could use a break, Naruto picked out a small tea house for the two and they sat down to watch the world pass by, all the while quietly talking about anything and everything. Hinata loved being able to do this. Just to be able to sit and talk, like nothing else in the world mattered. As Naruto lifted his cup to take a mouthful of his tea, he was interrupted by a familiar voice,  
"Naruto, Hinata? Is that you? The voice asked.  
Naruto lowered his cup and raised a hand to block the sun from his eyes to see who it was that approached them,  
"Oh! Sakura, hey. What are you doing here?" Naruto hadn't really been expecting to run in to any of their friends at this time of day.  
Slightly taken aback by his question, Sakura continued,  
"Looking for you actually. I don't suppose you two are free this evening?"  
Naruto and Hinata looked at each other for a moment before both looking back to Sakura and speaking,  
"We are, why is something happening?" They asked interested by the question.  
"Well I suppose you could say that. A few of the guys are meeting at the BBQ to catch up, y'know with people being out on missions and everything we don't get many chances like this. So we were wondering if you'd like to join us?"  
The thought of catching up with old friends was a pleasant thought for the couple, a chance to kick back and relax with some good friends would always be welcome.  
Another quick nod and smile to each other and it was decided. Sakura informed them that everyone would be meeting around eight o'clock that evening, and headed home, presumably to get ready herself.  
Seeing as it was already six thirty, the pair decided they should get moving themselves and headed home to get ready for their night out.

It was already eight o'clock, and the door was just closing to the Uzumaki home. Turns out that taking a quick nap an hour before hand wasn't the best idea. Hinata would have scolded Naruto for it but…She'd fallen asleep too. She blamed that on her pregnancy though.  
Eventually they arrived at the BBQ, only ten minutes late.  
"Well, you know what they say, all the cool people turn up fashionably late." Joked Naruto, rewarded by a giggle from Hinata.  
As the two stepped through the doors, they we're immediately greeted by a loud call from one of the larger tables,  
"Heh hey! Naruto! Hinata! Over here!" called a rather enthusiastic Kiba.  
As they made their way over to the table, they began to see who else had been invited to the 'little' catch up.  
Seated around the table were; Sakura, Ino, Choji, Shikamaru, Kiba, Lee and Tsunade and Shizune. Wait…What!?  
"Hey guys! I didn't expect to see you two here, Granny." Naruto said, throwing a curious glance to Tsunade and her dutiful aid.  
"What. You don't consider us friends now, Naruto?" Smiled Tsunade deviously, taking a swig of sake before continuing,  
"This was actually my idea!" she shouted triumphantly, apparently already having drained half the bottle in front of her.  
Naruto quickly glanced at everyone else around the table for confirmation, all of them giving a nervous smile and quick nod. Well it was unusual, but that didn't mean it wouldn't be enjoyable.  
The two took their seats next to each other and the conversation started up again.  
"So how have you two been anyway? I've been out of the village for a few weeks now, did I miss much?" Kiba said, taking the opportunity to involve the newcomers in the loop.  
"Nothing much really, Kiba. Naruto has been busy with training and I've been…I've been keeping busy." Hinata cut herself short, a slight blush spreading across her face as she realized what she was about to say. Naruto picked up on this quickly though and continued the conversation,  
"Yeah, you should see my new jutsu, Kiba! Wipes the floor with anything you've come up with!" he said confidently, even puffing his chest out a little for emphasis.  
"Oh yeah! Well I don't need new jutsu, mine work just fine!" retorted the beast like ninja.  
It seems that Naruto always seemed to strike a nerve when speaking to Kiba about new jutsu. A topic best dropped he decided.  
"Whoa, easy Kiba. You know I was kidding. So how have the rest of you been doing? We haven't seen much of you guys lately." Well at this everybody seemed to want a turn. People always enjoyed talking to Naruto, so when he asked about what they'd been up to, people generally liked to tell.  
As it turns out, everyone had been rather busy;  
Kiba had been taking over the training of the ninja hounds in the Leaf Village and assisting with the training in the other villages, too.  
Lee had recently been assigned his own squad of genin to train and look after.  
Ino had taken over her parents flower store and was also still a member of the medical core, so was needed at the hospital.  
Choji had been promoted to head of his clan, so was entrusted with its protection and the protection of his family.  
Shikamaru, being the genius he is, had been requested to join a new division of ninja, made up of the greatest minds in the alliance. He had been travelling from country to country assessing the state of defences and the strength of their ninja.  
And Sakura had been accompanying Tsunade along with Shizune while she attended the Kage meetings and assisted with any problems in the allied nations.  
It seemed that everybody had such interesting and busy lives. And here they were, sitting at home in the village training and…waiting for their child to be born…  
As the night progressed the atmosphere become a lot jollier, probably due to the large amount of Sake involved. Naruto and Hinata refrained however, Naruto because he had decided that this would be the best time to tell Tsunade that he would take on the role of Hokage. And Hinata because, well, she was pregnant. Eventually though, the others started to pick up on this. Hinata wasn't a big drinker by any means, but she would have a couple of glasses of sake when everyone met up on every other occasion. Then it happened…  
"Geeze Hinata! You'd think you were pregnant or something!" joked Ino, her flushed face and swaying glass evidence towards how much she'd had.  
Hinata flushed bright red. Seemingly unable to get out a response…This isn't how they'd imagined telling their friends but, it was a good as time as any it seemed.  
Sakura quickly picked up on her sudden hesitation however,  
"Wait…So…Lady Tsunade! That was what you were talking about at the training fields!"  
A sly smile from Tsunade was all the confirmation they needed. Deciding that it was pointless to hide it now, Naruto helped Hinata stand and they made the announcement of the night,  
"Everybody…Me and Hinata are expecting out first child!" Naruto was evidently overjoyed at telling his friends as his trade mark grin was stuck back on his face.  
"That's amazing!"  
"Go Naruto!"  
"Great news you guys!"  
Were some of the words of congratulations they picked out of the uproar of happiness.  
"So how long have you know?" asked Ino.  
"About a week or so now." Replied a very flushed Hinata. It wasn't that she was overly embarrassed, she was just never good at being the center of attention.  
Well, that would have been the announcement of the night, if the night had ended there. But what Naruto was about to say stunned the entire table.  
"Tsunade…I've made my decision too." It was funny to hear Naruto speak so formally and mature.  
"Oh? And what would that be then?" the aged Hokage replied, her sly smile back on her face. Had she planned it so that Naruto would announce it here tonight?  
"I accept. I will take on the role of Hokage."  
Silence…A few more seconds…Silence. It seemed as though time had stopped. Everyone staring at Naruto, mouths agape, until eventually Tsunade broke the silence,  
"Excellent! I'll see you on Monday to begin your training then!"  
Still, silence from everyone else until all at once,  
"WHAT!?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three – Training a Kage**

Naruto woke with the sunlight in his eyes. He enjoyed his sleep, but being woken by the shining summer sun was one of the better ways to wake up, he supposed. He tilted his head slightly to see Hinata still sleeping peacefully beside him. He usually woke up after her, so he enjoyed just watching her sleep for a while when he woke first. She looked so beautiful to him when she slept, peaceful and elegant.  
Stretching as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed, he let out a long yawn. Slowly making his way in to the bathroom, he stopped in front of the large mirror. He had changed a lot from that sixteen year old boy of the ninja war. His hair had grown longer, something he had decided on himself, Hinata thought it made him look more like his father. And he had grown a bit taller too, his toned body the result of his ninja training. His face was still the same though. Big blue eyes, his whisker like birth marks and his defined jaw.  
"Are you done checking yourself out, Naruto?" Kurama said with a yawn. Apparently only having just woken up too.  
"Hey, I'm a good looking guy. I can't help it." Joked the young ninja as he turned away from the mirror and headed to the sink.  
"Today's the day, eh Naruto. Tsunade will start your training to become Hokage?" Kurama questioned.  
Naruto picked up his tooth brush and started cleaning is teeth, he didn't need to actually speak to communicate with the nine tailed fox after all,  
"It is. Today is the day I've dreamed off, Kurama."  
"Well, not quite. You aren't Hokage yet Naruto. You have to pass Tsunade's tests first." It was as if Kurama was trying to put a downer on his big day.  
"Hey! You know I can do it. Remember when you first decided to bond our chakra? You said you only would because I'd proven myself to you time and time again, against incredible odds. I can handle this, no problem!" replied Naruto, brimming with confidence.  
"I remember. I don't doubt you Naruto, but you still shouldn't take this lightly…Naruto? Naruto! Are you listening?"  
Kurama got his answer in the form of Naruto spitting in to the sink.  
"Sorry, had to spit."  
"I saw…"  
"But to put your concerns at rest, I am taking this seriously. I'm not going to screw up my dream by being an immature kid." Naruto's serious tone did its job it seems, and Kurama simply snorted a reply and settled back down.  
As Naruto walked back in to the bedroom, he was greeted by the sight of a very tired looking Hinata stretching in the sun pouring in to the room. Well, that was it, Naruto was in love…Wait he already was…This was the affect she had on him it seems. She could stun him even when she had just woken up.  
"Naruto..? Are you going to stand in the doorway all day?" she said with a smirk. He loved this side of her, her playful side that was reserved only for him. And she knew what this was doing to him, too.  
"Hinata…How about-" Naruto was cut short by his teasing wife however,  
"Absolutely not young man! I'm with child, and you have a very important appointment!" Could she read minds or something!? More likely that she just knew where Naruto was going with that.  
"That isn't helping, darling." He said in his own playful tone.  
"I know…"  
Now was that an invitation or just more teasing? As much as he wished it to be the former, she was right, and Naruto had places to be. While he grabbed his clothes from the dresser he looked back to Hinata, who was now draping her arms over his shoulders from the foot of the bed,  
"So, what are you going to be doing today?" he asked, zipping up his jacket.  
"Well, unlike you, I think I might have a sleep in. Then I was thinking I might drop by at lunch to see how you're doing. Sound good?"  
"Sounds great." He said with a smile.  
With that the loving couple shared a brief kiss and Naruto headed out to begin his new training with Tsunade, Hinata settling back in to bed for her sleep in.

It was still quite in the village this time of morning. Naruto liked that about the summer, even though it was six o'clock in the morning, the sun was already shining brightly above him.  
He arrived at the Hokage's mansion a little early. He didn't have to be there until six thirty, but he decided to test his speed and ended up arriving at six fifteen.  
"Ah, Naruto, good morning. You're early." Came a voice from behind Naruto as he climbed the steps to the mansion.  
"Shizune, Good morning, yeah I sort 'a tested myself a little on the way here." Naruto explained as he greeted the medical ninja. Naruto found it amazing that she hadn't seemed to really age over the years. She almost looked exactly the same as the first time he'd ever met her over twelve years ago.  
"So, is Grandma Tsunade here yet?" he asked, eager to start his training.  
"Yes she is. I was amazed to see her here so early myself, but I guess she's really serious about getting you ready to take on the role of Hokage."  
The two spoke more about the training and Tsunade's retirement as they climbed the stairs to the Hokage's office at the top of the mansion.  
Shizune gave a small knock on the door before proceeding inside, Naruto in tow.  
"Good morning m'lady. Naruto is here to start his training." She said entering the room  
"You bet I am! Let's get started!" Naruto interjected.  
Tsunade looked up from the paperwork on her desk, a smile crossing her face,  
"Well, aren't you eager Naruto…" she started before narrowing her eyes at the young ninja and continuing "…But this training and the tests to follow will be difficult. They will either make you the next Hokage, or break you." No hint of a joke in her voice.  
Naruto gulped at her stern words, but he was strong and he knew he could take this.  
"Oh yeah? Well I say bring it on!" he exclaimed enthusiastically.  
Tsunade's smile returned and she pulled a file from a drawer in her desk, throwing it to Naruto, who caught it with ease.  
"Then I suggest you begin by reading that. Not only does that contain the oath you'll have to recite word for word, but it also contains the history and details of every previous Hokage. That includes your father and me." Her last sentence delivered with a little more emphasis.  
Naruto quickly opened the file and stopped on the section dedicated to his father, Minato Namikaze. He didn't know there was a file like this one, it contained everything. His father's birth place and date, who is parents were, information on his wife and Naruto's mother, all of his acts as Hokage and even a list of his jutsu!  
"This is amazing…Why was I never shown this before?" Naruto was understandably confused by this. After all, he had a right to know.  
"Because that document is only to be accessed by the Hokage and seeing as how you're now the next Hokage, you now have the right to see it." Tsunade had gone full teacher mode, it seemed.  
After a quick glance trough the file, Naruto placed it down on the desk and took a seat opposite Tsunade.  
"So what's first? I can read that file anytime, there must be something we can get started on now?" Impatient as ever it seems.  
"You're right. First I'll have to test your strength as a ninja!"  
Naruto was taken aback by that one. He wasn't expecting to have to fight Tsunade now!  
"What is it Naruto? You look a little nervous." That sly smile back on the Hokage's face.  
"Not at all! This is just happening sooner than I'd expected. But if you wanna go, let's go!" he spoke up, his fighting spirit winning over.

It was around ten o'clock, and Hinata had decided that she'd slept in enough. Climbing out of her warm bed, she wandered over to the bathroom door, strangely doing almost exactly the same as Naruto had done that morning and stopping in front of the mirror.  
She looked herself up and down, spending extra time looking at her stomach and the life growing within. Hinata hadn't changed all that much in terms of appearance over the years. Well, she once had short hair that she decided she would grow, and smaller breasts that had somewhat…grown too. But that was to be expected of a growing young woman, she told herself that often growing up.  
Her long dark bluish black hair stretched down her back, ending just above her thighs, her slim figure somewhat dominated by her rather large breasts. Her eyes looked the same as ever, a whitish colour due to her byakugan. She rested a hand on her still flat stomach and turned away from the mirror.  
With her inspection over she bathed, cleaned her teeth and dressed herself, still deciding to take things easy today.  
Just as she sat down to eat however, Hinata heard a knock on the door. She turned the handle and opened the door to reveal a smiling Sakura standing outside.  
"Good morning Hinata! Has Naruto left already?" spoke the kunoichi cheerily.  
"Good morning to you, Sakura. He has yes, he left early this morning in fact." replied Hinata, stepping aside and offering for Sakura to come in.  
Hinata picked up the bowl containing her breakfast from the table at sat down with Sakura in the living room. Hinata loved their home, Naruto had made sure to save a lot of his money after the war and when they were married, bought a large home on the edge of the village that over looked the entire area for the two of them. Plenty of room, a large living room and kitchen, a huge garden and even a small dojo so they could train at home, Hinata was particularly fond of the garden especially now during the summer.  
"So, how are you? You're eating rather late aren't you?" Sakura asked, just making idle conversation.  
"I'm great thank you Sakura-" Hinata said with a smile before eating a mouthful of her breakfast and continuing,  
"-I decided to have a bit of a sleep in today and I haven't actually been out of bed very long." She finished with a small laugh.  
If Sakura was honest, she could have guessed that. Hinata had still to fix her hair, which was still frizzy from her bath, something she was always very careful of.  
"Ah, well no harm in a relaxing day in, eh?" Sakura said playfully.  
"Actually, I was thinking of heading over to the mansion later to see Naruto. Come to think of it, why aren't you there, Sakura? I would have expected you to be part of his training." Hinata was genuinely curious as to why her pink haired friend wasn't, well, working.  
"Oh. Well Lady Tsunade gave me the morning off, I'll actually be heading over there around noon, if you'd like to go together?" asked the medical ninja.  
Hinata liked the sound of that. She hadn't spent much time with Sakura lately. Actually, seeing as how Naruto used to…Have a thing for her, she thought that she may not want anything to do with them once they stared dating and eventually married. But it turned out that the two became good friends very quickly. Something Hinata was very grateful for.  
The two passed the next while talking and catching up a little more before Hinata got ready and they headed out. It was a hot day so Hinata had decided on a long dress. A dress that Naruto had bought for her, it was long and white with black splash like pattern around the bottom. Hinata loved this dress, though she wasn't sure if it was the dress or that fact that Naruto had bought it for her.  
Sakura on the other hand was in her usual 'work' attire, a pink undershirt covered by a leaf village flak jacket and a pair of black pants. Her hair pushed back by her allied forces headband. It had been decided that the headbands would be kept after the war to show unity against any evil, and so to this day, ninja still wear them proudly.  
The two young women walked quietly towards to Hokage's mansion, Sakura every so often looking as if she wanted to say something but stopping herself. Hinata was curious though…  
"What is it Sakura? If there's something you want to ask, go ahead." The young woman said happily.  
Her nerves eased, Sakura decided to fire away,  
"Well actually, I had wanted to ask you something. Have you chosen a nurse yet?" well there it was. She put it out there.  
"No I haven't…I haven't thought of it if I'm honest." Hinata replied, slightly ashamed that she'd neglected something so important as a nurse to help with her pregnancy.  
"It's nothing to worry about! Really! Most people don't actually chose one until after the first couple of months...I was just wondering, well, if you'd consider picking me?" the pink haired kunoichi asked nervously.  
Well Hinata had to admit, she could think of worse people to be her nurse during her pregnancy, and Sakura was a good friend of both Naruto and her.  
"That's a wonderful idea Sakura, I'd love you to be my nurse." Hinata beamed.  
"Thank you Hinata! It's an honour, really!" this reaction seemed a bit over the top to Hinata…  
"It's just, this will be my first time acting as nurse for anyone during their pregnancy." It seemed difficult for Sakura to admit that, so Hinata decided to reassure her.  
"Don't worry Sakura, you're a skilled medical ninja, and you've healed me AND Naruto many times before. I'd have probably picked you even if you hadn't asked." Hinata said in her most reassuring voice, which seemed to work. It sounded almost motherly, causing Sakura to smile. She'd make a brilliant mother.  
They continued the rest of the way talking about recent events and other topics related to Naruto's and her baby.

On the roof of the Hokage's mansion, an exhausted Naruto and Tsunade sat side by side in the warm sun. Both looked pretty well done in, their training battle turning in to a full on brawl when neither would accept defeat.  
"You know Naruto, I don't think we'll have to test your strength anymore…" Tsunade said, still panting heavily.  
"Heh, you always knew I was strong Grandma Tsunade!" replied Naruto, out of breath yes, but in a better state than the Hokage.  
After discussing some more of the trivial points in Tsunade's office and talking over some of the other arrangements for Naruto to succeed her, they had proceeded to the roof to spar. They had been fighting for well over an hour at this point, initially it had started as a simple sparring match, but slowly progressed in to an all out battle. It was a wonder that they hadn't damaged the roof. The heat of the approaching afternoon had taken its toll too, leaving them both exhausted.  
Naruto laid down on his back, staring up at the clear blue sky, his thoughts on his current situation. He was training to become Hokage, had the support and love of his friends and to top all of that, the love of his wife who was carrying their first child. He just lay there for a while smirking up at the sky.  
Tsunade noticed, of course, but she could guess what he was thinking and left him to his thoughts.  
They were soon interrupted by Shizune though, who had been sent by Tsunade to get some cold water for the two of them after their fight. Accompanying the Hokage's aid however was Sakura and Hinata.  
Still exhausted and thirsty, Naruto pushed the feeling aside and bolted for his wife, taking her in to a rather…sweaty hug.  
"You would think you haven't seen me in weeks, Naruto." Hinata said giggling, a blush crossing her face as she returned the hug.  
"Nope, I was just thinking of something." Replied the blonde ninja as he loosened his grip on his wife.  
Tsunade had already downed her glass of water…And half of the pitcher that Shizune had brought, but could see the touching sight in front of her, giving her an idea.  
"Naruto, go and spend the rest of the day with Hinata, you've earned it, and we've covered a lot today. No need to overdo things." She said smiling, not the usual sly one though, a warm and honest one.  
After a quick thank you and goodbye the couple left to spend the day doing who knows what. But one thing was for sure, neither of them really cared what they did.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four – Moving Forward**

It was strange to be in the hospital for something other than an injury, something that neither Naruto nor Hinata had experienced before. There was something strange about it alright. The two soon-to-be parents sat in one of the hospital's many examination rooms, waiting for the return of their nurse and good friend, Sakura Haruno. Hinata was now roughly two months pregnant, and Sakura had advised her to come in for her initial examination, something the young couple happily agreed to.  
While they idly chatted and inspected the room they sat in, the door slowly creaked open, revealing a clipboard wielding Sakura. The pinkette ninja stepped in to the room, flicking through the sheets of paper in her hands before looking at a somewhat nervous looking Naruto and Hinata with a wide smile.  
"Good news you two! Your baby is in perfect health, no problems at all!" the kunoichi said beaming.  
That certainly put the other two ninja at ease, they hadn't been nervous when they arrived, but for some reason the thought of the results had them on the edge of their seats.  
"That's amazing news! Thanks Sakura, it's reassuring to know we'll have you looking at for us through this." Naruto said, returning the smile, a similar expression of joy on Hinata's face as she thanked Sakura as well.  
The three sat in the small room for a while longer, discussing any problems that could come up during the pregnancy and anything Sakura could do to help with them. The topic then turned to Naruto's training, something that Sakura was keeping a close eye on. She had known Naruto for years, the same as Hinata, but being on the same team as him when they were younger gave her insight in to how he approached his training. That being said, he had certainly stepped up over the years, even during his youth when he developed new jutsu and mastered sage art, as well as 'taming' Kurama.  
"So Naruto, is lady Tsunade wanting to see you again today?" inquired Sakura, curious as to how much her master was putting him through.  
"Heh, yeah. She wants me there right after we're done here. She wouldn't tell me what for today though…" Naruto replied, scratching the back of his head in thought.  
"I'm sure she just wants to progress your training, Naruto." Hinata chimed in, squeezing her husband's hand reassuringly.  
She was right of course, Naruto had done amazingly well over the past couple of weeks. Since he had beaten Tsunade in the brawl, she was convinced he was able to take on the role of Hokage, the rest of the trials just being mere formality at this point.

The Hokage sat at her desk, facing the large window of her office. She loved the view from here, the entire village stretching at before her and the great stone faces watching over it in the distance. The truth is, she would miss this. While she was initially hesitant to take on the title of Hokage herself, she had grown to adore it. The people of the village, the feeling of accomplishment when helping villagers with their problems and the responsibility of defending it all from any threat, it was her life.  
She had grown old though, and while she hated to admit it she wasn't as able bodied as she used to be. Even her jutsu used to mask her age was becoming less effective.  
Even though Naruto wasn't set to become Hokage for another three months at least, she worried that she may have to pass on the title sooner. She could feel herself become weaker every day, ever since that battle with Madara ten years ago.  
It was time, she had to hand over the role to someone more capable of fulfilling it, she had to hand it to Naruto.  
The aged Hokage span her chair back around to face the door when she heard a small knock,  
"Enter…"she mumbled quietly, her mood somewhat lowered.  
Responding to the command, Naruto stepped in to the large room, followed by Hinata. This was a surprise, Tsunade wasn't expecting to see Hinata here, although it would be for the best considering the news she was about to deliver.  
"Hey Granny, so what did you need to see me about?" Naruto asked quizzically, still worried that he'd done something wrong.  
Tsunade allowed herself a smile at his worried expression, one she was sure would disappear very shortly.  
"Don't worry Naruto, you're not in any kind of trouble. And Hinata, what a nice surprise. Please both of you, take a seat." The Hokage offered while motioning to the empty chairs opposite her.  
She watched as they pulled out the chairs and sat down, noticing the slight bump in Hinata's slowly growing stomach. The two of them would have very busy lives shortly, but she was certain they could handle it.  
"Now then, Naruto, I called you here to discuss something very important. You being here is actually a very good thing too, Hinata." The Hokage paused as she rested her chin on her hands in front of her,  
"You've made excellent progress Naruto, very quickly too. I have no doubt that you are more than capable of taking on the role of Hokage. And recently I have become aware that I am no longer fit for the role…So I have decided. You will become Hokage, as soon as possible, within the month if I can have it done. Congratulations!" Tsunade ended her small speech with one of her warm smiles, letting the couple opposite her know she was sincere about this.  
Naruto and Hinata just sat there, speechless. Well she thought that this might happen, luckily she knew how to snap them out of it,  
"Naruto Uzumaki!" she bellowed, shaking Naruto out of daze  
"Y-yes!" Naruto evidently shocked by the sudden outburst, as well as Hinata who had jumped in her seat.  
"I hereby pass on the role of Hokage to you. You are now the leader and protector of this village!" a slight pause from the Hokage before she continued allowed Naruto to collect himself,  
"Of course we'll have to wait a little before we can make it official with the ceremony and paperwork…" the now former Hokage finished.  
Unfortunate this had sent Naruto in to another shocked daze, taking Hinata's gentle tapping on his shoulder and a few "Naruto Uzumaki! You pay attention!"'s to wake him up. Eventually he was back on planet Earth though, and the discussion was underway as to how long it would take to make it official, how it would be announced and one of the more important points for Naruto, why Tsunade had suddenly decided to step down.  
"Ah, it's nothing to worry about. I've just gotten too old for the job, as much as I hate to admit it. I'd feel a lot better having you defending and leading the village, Naruto." Tsunade said in response to Naruto's questioning. While he wasn't exactly convinced, and neither was Hinata, they decided not to press that matter further.  
Deciding to change the conversation, Tsunade decided to ask Hinata about her trip to the hospital, and ask about how Sakura had done as her first time acting as a pregnancy nurse. With everything cleared up and discussed, it was time for the Uzumaki's to return home. They had a lot to think about and discuss themselves after that meeting, that was for sure.

The evening drew closer and the sun slowly descended over the Leaf Village, Hinata was sat on the deck in front of the Uzumaki home, watching the orange tinted world below. She liked being outside, it gave her a sense of freedom, as if there was nothing else but her, well other than Naruto who was sitting next to her after getting them both some tea. They often looked over the village on an evening, they enjoyed the view of course, but they also liked to see the village slowly set in to a sort of sleep for the night. It had been a busy day for the two of them, their first appointment at the hospital, and the news that Naruto was now technically Hokage. That last one hadn't quite sunk in yet though. Putting an arm around his wife's shoulder, Naruto sat back at looked at the village he loved. The village he was now responsible for. He had lost a lot to get to where he was now, but gained so much more. He couldn't imagine where he'd be if it wasn't for Hinata, she had helped him through some difficult times over the years. From their time dating in their teens, to the marriage three years ago, she had always know just how to help him and just what he needed to get by. His trademark smile crossed his face as he thought of this, and his aforementioned wife picked up on it. Jabbing him in the ribs with one of her slender fingers,  
"What's gotten you so happy, ?" the young woman joked, flashing her husband a smile.  
"Oh nothing, just thinking about stuff." He said with a smile to match Hinata's.  
Hinata leaned her head against her husband's chest, listening to his steady heart beat and watching as the sun finally dipped below the hills in the distance, she couldn't remember the last time she felt so content.  
Naruto was interrupted from his thoughts by the familiar sound of Hinata's breathing, looking down to see her fast asleep with him as her pillow. He let go a small chuckle before picking his wife up in his arms and beginning the walk to their bedroom,  
"Well, it has been a long day…" Naruto said, yawning to show his own need for some sleep.  
But he was quickly roused by a joust from Hinata, who was quite happy to be carried to bed still pretending to be asleep,  
"Apparently longer for you than me." She joked, her eyes still closed.  
Naruto just laughed and set his wife down on their bed, she had already been dressed for bed, with only a blanket covering her sleeping clothes, so she quickly made herself comfortable under the sheets. Naruto however was still in his usual attire of a black and orange jacket with his black pants. His flak jacket had already been removed earlier though.  
He joined his wife in bed and they quickly settled in to their usual position, Hinata being encased in Naruto's arms from behind, and she quickly drifted off to sleep.  
Naruto however was being kept awake by Kurama, who had decided now would be a good time to talk about the day's events,  
"Well today was a surprise, I didn't expect Tsunade to step down like that." The fox said from within Naruto's mind.  
"I know. I'm sure there's more to it, but she seemed like it wasn't something she wanted to discuss." Naruto replied.  
It was funny talking with Kurama in his mind, he adopted a similar method as is good friend and fellow jinchuuriki, Killer Bee, and would sit on Kurama's snout while they spoke.  
"Well well, when did Naruto Uzumaki become so grown up?" Kurama replied with a growl like laugh.  
"Hey! I've always been a responsible and mature person!" quipped Naruto in his own defence.  
This of course was a pointless defence, Kurama had been with Naruto his whole life, he knew exactly what he was and used to be like. Which Naruto knew too.  
"You know as well as I do that's a lie, Naruto. But you really have grown up from that hopeless ninja I inhabited in years past. You're a powerful ninja and good man." Kurama said with confidence.  
It was unusual for him to speak like this, but that only meant it all the more when he did.  
Naruto and his fox companion were suddenly interrupted by another voice however,  
"Kurama, can I have my husband back now please?" came Hinata's obviously sleepy voice. She had learnt to know when Naruto was talking with Kurama over the years, and Kurama had even taken a liking to her, allowing her to speak to him every so often.  
"Looks like you're needed, Naruto." He said with his foxy grin. His not so subtle innuendo easily picked up on.  
"Geeze! You're as bad as Pervy Sage, Kurama!" Naruto laughed and with that left the fox to his own rest.  
Tonight would be a well earned rest for everybody in the Uzumaki household.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five – The New Hokage**

It had been some time since the former Hokage, Tsunade, had passed on her role to the young Naruto Uzumaki, about a month in fact. Things had been going well for the young ninja, his wife was carrying their healthy child, their friends helping out here and there as well as assisting him in getting ready to take on his new role. Hinata had fussed over him perhaps a little too much, but he didn't mind, he supposed it was just her maternal instincts showing themselves, something he was very happy to see.  
Tsunade had spent the previous month informing the other Kage and relevant parties of her retirement and Naruto's promotion, Gaara the Kazekage, had eagerly awaited the day that his good friend would join him as a Kage, as had the other village leaders. They had seen him as a worthy candidate since his victory in the 4th Great Ninja War. Everything was now in place for Naruto to succeed Tsunade and the ceremony was only two days away. The villagers were of course overjoyed, while they were sad to see Tsunade step down, they too had been waiting for the day that Naruto would follow in his father's footsteps and become Hokage. He was a much loved member of the community, everyone had total confidence in him.

Things were a little hectic at the Uzumaki household, to say the least. Naruto was trying to drum the oath he would have to recite at the ceremony in to his head while going over reports from various squads out on missions. In truth he had been acting as Hokage for almost two weeks now, they were only waiting to make things official. On top of that however, he had Hinata. Being three months pregnant, she was now starting to feel some of the effects. Morning sickness being her most loathed. She loved their unborn child, and knew she would love them even more when they were born, but right now, she wished they would just give her an easier time of it.  
The exhausted Hinata dragged herself in to the living room where Naruto was busily going over a stack of reports and threw herself down on their couch, the sound causing Naruto to look up from his work with a concerned expression etched on his face,  
"You okay, Hinata? I can get Sakura if you'd like?" He offered. He knew Sakura would probably know a way to ease the morning sickness and make Hinata's life a little more bearable.  
Hinata responded with a short nod and a very weak sounding,  
"If you wouldn't mind."  
Even with all of his work, Naruto had no problem dropping it at a moment's notice for his wife, she was more important to him than being Hokage, no question. Luckily, Naruto had recently developed a new jutsu to make travelling much faster. After he got his hands on the list of his father's jutsu, he and Kurama had made a slight modification to his 'Flying Thunder God' technique, utilizing Kurama's chakra to teleport to near enough any location in the village in the blink of an eye. Something which comes in very handy when you have a morning sickness plagued, pregnant wife at home.

Sakura was busy working away in the Leaf's hospital today, Tsunade had no need for her services recently seeing as she'd stepped down as Hokage, and that left her to focus more on developing her own medical ninjutsu.  
The pink haired ninja was distracted by her work by a sudden flash of orange behind her however, already knowing it was Naruto, she inquired as to why he was there,  
"What can I help you with, Naruto?" she said while removing a pair of gloves and turning to face him.  
The nervous looking Naruto scratched his head for a moment before explain his sudden visit and requirement,  
"Actually, it's Hinata who could use some help. She's suffering for some pretty severe morning sickness lately. Is there anything you can give her to help?"  
Sakura tapped her finger against her chin for a moment before snapping her fingers together and diving in to a nearby cabinet, throwing things aside here and there before emerging with a small pouch and turning back to Naruto.  
"This'll do it. Although, I'd have to show her how to take this properly, and I'm really busy at the moment…" she said slightly disheartened. Hinata was her first pregnancy patient, and she wanted to do the best she could for her.  
Naruto though had already come up with a solution,  
"No problem! Grab my hand." Naruto said while extending an arm to Sakura.  
Understanding what he meant, she took his hand and the two flashed out of the room in a blinding orange light, on route to Hinata.  
A similar flash alerted Hinata to Naruto's return, but was surprised to see Sakura had actually come too.  
"I didn't expect you to come too, Sakura. Aren't you busy?" her weak voice questioned.  
"Naruto offered me a lift of sorts, don't worry, I've always got time to make house calls for you two." She replied with a small laugh and proceeded over to Hinata who was still resting on the couch.  
After a brief talk about how she was feeling and a quick inspection by Sakura, she revealed her solution for her patient's morning sickness. She took the small pouch and explained to Hinata how it worked. Apparently it was some kind of chakra infused herbal mix that would calm her sickness when inhaled. The problem being that Hinata would have to match her chakra to the pouch's accordingly, not an easy thing to do when you're on the verge of throwing up.  
But after taking a deep breath of the mysterious mixture, Hinata was starting to look and feel much better.  
Naruto took Sakura back to the hospital and returned home, back to his work, while Hinata helped him where she could. Even though the ninja on missions were only running escort or diplomatic duties, there was still a lot of information to sift through, so an extra pair of eyes was always welcome in Naruto's book, especially when they were Hinata's.  
After a somewhat long day of reading, hospital trips and fooling around on Naruto and Hinata's parts, the pair were ready for a well deserved rest.  
Hinata was quickly asleep, leaving Naruto to run over a few more reports before settling down himself. Even Kurama had gotten bored and gone to sleep by now.  
It would be an eventful day tomorrow as Naruto began his final preparations for his succession ceremony.

"Naruto! If you don't leave right now, you'll be late!" called a rather worried Hinata. It was the day of the ceremony and Naruto, in his usual fashion, had overslept. Hinata had to drag him out of bed and force him in to the bathroom to get ready, with a little help from Kurama.  
Naruto charged out of the front door, held open by his wife, luckily they had a way of getting there quickly.  
"Ready, Hinata?" The new Hokage asked his wife as she took his hand.  
"Ready." She replied confidently, and the two disappeared in a flash of light.  
When they materialized again, they were stood in Tsunade's old office, which was now Naruto's, an angry looking Tsunade and worried Shizune in front of them.  
Before Naruto could say anything though, he felt a punch to the back of his head,  
"Cutting it a little close, don't you think!?" Sakura shouted. Displeased at her friend's lateness.  
"Ow-OW! Sorry, I overslept! I'm not late though, right?" Naruto asked the former Hokage while Hinata rubbed her husband's now injured head.  
Tsunade simply sighed and dropped her angry expression,  
"No, you're not. But Sakura's right, you've cut it close. We'd better get moving to the roof now. You too Hinata, I think Naruto could use you at his side through this." The older woman said with a smile.  
With that, the five of them began the climb to the roof, made slightly more difficult for Hinata by the slight extra weight around her midsection.

It was a sight that stunned Naruto when they reached the rooftop balcony, the entire village had turned up to see him become Hokage and he was sure not a single person was missing.  
Tsunade began with her speech regarding her retirement and the reasons as to why Naruto had been chosen to succeed her. Sakura even gave a small speech, thanking Tsunade for everything she'd one for the village over her years as Hokage. But eventually the time came, Naruto would have to take center stage.  
Naruto stepped up the small podium at the front of the balcony, his right hand in Hinata's as she give him a quick smile, reassuring him more than anything else could.  
He took a deep breath and began;  
"Thank you Tsunade, Sakura.  
It is with great honour and pride that accept the title of Hokage,  
I pledge to uphold the traditions and customs of this village and its people,  
I promise to serve and defend each and every villager,  
As my predecessors did before me, I will stand as a pillar to support this village.  
I, Naruto Uzumaki, hereby take the title of Hokage for as long as I may live to serve this village."  
Naruto let out a long breath to calm himself before being socked back to reality by the uproar of celebration below him, every person shouting their praise and congratulations, each of them showing their support and love for their new Hokage.  
It brought tears not only to Naruto's eyes, but also Hinata's. To finally see her husband achieve his lifelong dream, to follow his father and become Hokage, she had never been more proud of him that she was right now.  
In a surprise move on her part though, Hinata stepped forward and took the podium, leaving Naruto confused. Tsunade, Sakura and Shizune however already knew what she had planned.  
"I would like to thank each and every one of you for supporting Naruto and helping him get to where he is now. I-I never thought that I'd feel this overwhelmed!" a slight pause from the Hyuga as she wiped the tears from her eyes,  
" I'd also like to share something with you all that some of you may have already heard, something I know Naruto would want you all to know…Naruto and I are expecting our first child, and we would like to thank everyone who has offered their support and care throughout the past few months. Thank you all!" Hinata's voice ended slightly shaky, she wasn't used to doing anything like that, but she thought she'd surprise Naruto a little.  
Once again the crowd below them erupted in to cheers of congratulations and well wishing. Naruto was done. He couldn't even function right now, he was overjoyed to the point of breaking. He took his wife in a loving embrace, sharing a kiss before the gathered crowd, only fuelling their celebration, a celebration that continued for the majority of the day in fact.  
Eventually however, things had to end and everyone returned to their duties and jobs.

That evening, Naruto and Hinata were invited to join Tsunade, Shizune and Sakura for a small celebration of their own in what was now, Naruto's office.  
It was nothing big, just a few drinks, for everyone but Hinata that is, and some pleasant conversation. Eventually Naruto asked a question he had been wanting to know the answer to for a while now though,  
"So, granny…I have to ask. Why did you choose me?" Naruto let this hang for a moment before he continued,  
"I mean, Sakura and Shizune are both powerful ninja, and they've spent more time with you than anybody, I bet they could handle the paperwork and village better than I could. So, why me?"  
Tsunade was honestly surprised it had taken him this long to ask that question. It was true that both her assistants were probably more qualified to handle the village from an intellectual point of view, and they were both exceptional ninjas, but they weren't the only factors. With another swig of her sake and a small smile she began her explanation,  
"Well Naruto, for as long as I've known you, you've never backed down form anything. You've never shied away from a challenge and you've shown yourself to be more resourceful than even myself at times. But the main reason…Is that you have heart. Everywhere you go, people can't help but take a liking to you. It's that quality, your nature if you like, that puts you above anybody else for this."  
The former Hokage ended with a smile, a genuine, warm and caring smile, a smile that was shared by both Sakura and Shizune. Naruto really was lost for words for the umpteenth time today, he'd never experienced anything like this before.  
"Thanks you guys, honestly. If it wasn't for the help you've all given me over the years, I don't think I'd ever have gotten to where I am now. I was never a 'good kid' I guess you could say, but from the friendship you all gave me, I managed to get it together. I've learned a lot and discovered things I never thought I would. Even spoken to and met my parents! Yes there are people I wish were here to see this, mum and dad, Iruka sensei, Pervy Sage…Even some people you might not expect. But they all helped me get here. Some more than others…" Naruto paused as he placed a hand over his wife's growing stomach and gave her his trademark smile,  
"But don't think you're done! I'm going to need that support more than ever now!" he finished with a laugh, his joke rewarded with a laugh and smile from the others.  
Just as Tsunade was about to speak again though, a tap on the window interrupted the group,  
"Hey." Was the only word spoken by the ever casual Kakashi as he slowly climbed through the now open window, taking a seat beside Sakura opposite Naruto and Hinata.  
"I just wanted to stop by and congratulate you Naruto. You've made us all proud, especially me. I'll miss the days of being your teacher though." He said smiling with his eyes. The only way you could ever tell he was.  
The night went on, a few more drinks, some old stories, some of which Hinata was rather embarrassed by, and a final toast to the Hokage.  
One thing was certain, this would be a day they would never forget.

On a cliff overlooking the moonlit Leaf Village, a cloaked figure stood, his cloak billowing in the breeze. His face covered by a mask, only his eyes visible, he narrowed them staring at the sleeping village below before speaking in a low and chilling voice,  
"This time. You're mine…"


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter six – Emergence**

The week following Naruto's ceremony had been a busy one, with many of the villagers stopping by to congratulate him on becoming Hokage and the news of Hinata's pregnancy.He was beginning to feel swamped, what with all of the work he now had to handle too. First he had to inspect team rosters, then he had to inspect the state of the village and its infrastructure, then there was the matter of the upcoming chunin exams that would be held in the Leaf. Luckily for Naruto, Hinata had seen the work load getting to him, and had pulled him away from it for a day's rest. The couple had decided to stay in their current home, not seeing the need to move in to the Hokage's mansion, they liked their home, so why leave it?  
It was still summer in Konoha, and Hinata had decided that the best way to spend his day off would be for Naruto to relax on the deck outside their home, with her of course. His day off was as much for her as it was for him, she wasn't used to her husband being out of the house all day every day.

Taking in a deep breath at letting out a long content sigh, Naruto picked up his ice cold drink from the table near his and Hinata's deck chairs, and took a long sip. It was like being on a vacation, relaxing in the sun with his wife, an ice cold drink in hand and not a care in the world.  
"You know Hinata, you always know just what I need." The new Hokage said, tilting his head towards his wife with a smile.  
Naruto couldn't help but stare, Hinata was only wearing a bikini and a long sash around her waist, evidently making the most of the sun herself. Naruto's eyes rested on her growing stomach for a moment before being pulled back by her voice,  
"Well I wouldn't be a very good wife if I didn't, would I?" her response followed by a giggle.  
Naruto was sure she knew what this was doing to him, he could never resist her when she acted like this. Revenge for him being busy all week, maybe?  
It was funny how much bolder Hinata had gotten with Naruto, but after fighting a war with someone, coming within an inch of death with them, you'd be hard-pressed not to be more confident.  
As the day drew on, the couple had decided to move back indoors, mainly for a bit of shade and cooler air. Naruto had another idea though, something he suspect Hinata would be particularly fond of. After taking his head out the fridge it was currently in, looking for food or just keeping cool, Naruto would take either, he turned to face his wife who was collapsed on the couch.  
"Hey, Hinata? How does a trip to the hot spring later sound?" he questioned, waiting for her response.  
Hinata was almost comical in her appearance, her head shooting up from the couch with a damp towel draped across one eye, probably not intentionally, and her hair a wild mess around her face,  
"Hot spring? Yes. Defiantly…Can we go now?"  
Naruto laughed at his clearly overheated wife before taking a seat next to her, resting his hand on her swelling stomach.  
"Well we could, but don't you think it would be a little busy? And if we wait, we can watch the sunset while we're there." Naruto smirked, sure that he had her with that line.  
Hinata unfolded her dampened towel and covered the rest of her face with it, nodding slowly before speaking,  
"I suppose…I would like to see the sunset from there again."  
Sweet victory.

The heat stricken couple had spent the rest of their day trying a few unusual methods of cooling off, Naruto even trying to use a couple of wind style jutsu as a fanning method…Which didn't work, just made him hotter and left the house in a bit of a mess.  
Now that the sun was beginning to set though, they had decided to start the walk to the hot spring. It wasn't far, but given the heat and Hinata's condition, they'd decided to take things slowly.  
The hot spring was located on the edge of the village, looking over it from a steep hill. Naruto and Hinata had often gone to watch the sunset there over the years, it was one of the most beautiful sights in the village.  
As they neared the springs, Hinata came face to face with the enemy she had been dreading…The stairs to the spring itself. They tried counting them on many previous visits, but always lost count around the one hundred mark, tackling them in her current condition of being exhausted from the heat and pregnant was not something she was looking forward to.  
"N-naruto…I don't suppose we could 'take a short cut', could we?" she asked her husband, clinging to his arm. Naruto had already thought the same thing however, and was just waiting for confirmation,  
"Yes we can!" he said enthusiastically, the two of them vanishing in a burst of light.  
They flashed back at the top of the stairs, just outside the hot spring's doors. Naruto had been right, the place was much quieter than it would have been during the day, and the sunset wasn't far off.

After undressing in a private changing room that was apparently reserved for the Hokage, they stepped out in to the deserted spring. Naruto stepped slowly in to its warm water, the steam washing over his upper body, Hinata had a rather different approach however, and practically charged in to the water. She really had been looking forward to this…  
The two of them sat back against a large rock and looked out over the village, the sun now beginning to drop behind the distant hills. It was suddenly a much more prominent event for Naruto, something he'd not thought of earlier.  
"Our lives really have changed since the last time we did this, eh?" his words causing Hinata to look at him curiously, he smiled to reassure her it wasn't something bad he was about to say,  
"I mean. The last time we came here to do this, would you have thought that the next time it happened, you'd be pregnant with our child? Or that I would be Hokage?"  
Suddenly Hinata understood, and it hit her too. Their lives really had changed, they had more than they could ever ask for now. While they were happy just being together, Naruto had now realized his life's dream and they would soon have their own child to care for. A dream they had both shared as they had gotten older.  
Hinata felt like she had to say something, but for the life of her couldn't think of the right words. Luckily she didn't have to, as her lips were soon caught in kiss by her boyish lover.  
As they parted he whispered the words she always loved hearing,  
"I love you."

The night now had its hold on the village, and the heat of the day had given way to a more pleasant cool temperature. The stars were shining above and the moon cast its pale light over the land, a perfect end to a perfect day in Hinata's book, her idea of giving Naruto a day off having turned out to be a great idea. The now utterly relaxed couple were heading back home after an evening well spent, talking about possible names for their child as they went. They had found out that they would be having a boy and Naruto had immediately started thinking of names, impressive considering it was on top of all of his work.  
"I still think naming him after the Pervy Sage is a good idea…" he said with a pout. He had always thought of naming his son after his late master. Hinata however had different ideas.  
"I was thinking we could name him after Neji…" she said with a hint of sadness. Her cousin, Neji, had died in the final battle of the 4th Great Ninja war. Both Naruto and she were there at the time of his death.  
Naruto knew this isn't what she wanted to be thinking about, and so started on suggesting another name. Before he could open his mouth though, Lee appeared in front of them,  
"Naruto! You've got to come with me, quickly!" he said, clearly out of breath, something very strange for the always energetic Rock Lee.  
Naruto wasted no time however,  
"What is it, Bushy Brows? What's happened?"  
"In the forest outside the village! A man was spotted, he attacked a group of ninja before disappearing in to the forest!" Lee had to gasp for air between words, this had clearly shaken him up.  
Naruto was already planning though, ready to protect his people,  
"Lee, meet me at the main gate as soon as you can, I'll take Hinata home then meet you there!" he ordered, not giving Lee anything to answer before flashing out of view.  
He flashed back into the living room of his and Hinata's home, where she quickly threw Naruto his cloak and flak jacket that were hanging from the wall nearby.  
Naruto had been given the cloak as a gift by Tsunade on become Hokage. It was a similar design to his father's, black with an orange flame pattern at the bottom with an orange leaf symbol on the back.  
Hinata wished her husband luck, knowing it was his duty as a ninja and the Hokage to investigate the attack, and he flashed out of view again.  
Naruto didn't have to wait long for Lee to arrive and the two ninja quickly headed in to the forest, Lee leading the way to where this mysterious man had attacked. When they arrived, they were greeted by the sight of scorched earth and burnt trees, along with two dead leaf ninja, a third was being helped by Sakura and other members of the medical core but had suffered serious burns across most of his body.  
Naruto knelt down next to the injured ninja, careful not to touch any of his burns and looked to Sakura for her assessment, her expression telling him all he needed to know, this man wasn't going to make it. Naruto needed information though,  
"What can you tell me? Did you get a look at your attacker?" he asked the injured man, keeping his voice low and calm.  
The ninja nodded his head slowly and painfully before attempting to speak,  
"Y-yes sir. H-he was cloaked a-and wore a ma-sk." The injured man contorted with pain as Sakura applied a balm to his burns. He collected himself, resolved to tell his Hokage what he knew,  
"He fought u-us easily…We didn't s-stand a chance. But h-he gave us his name…" the man paused again, the pain causing him to lose begin losing consciousness, but with his last breath gave Naruto a name he thought he'd never hear again,  
"…Sasuke Uchiha..."  
And with that the ninja passed out from the pain.  
Naruto stared at Sakura, who stared right back at him. This was something neither of them expected, a name they knew couldn't be true. Sasuke Uchiha, to the best of their knowledge, was dead.  
But as they were about to speak, to confirm that they had indeed heard what they thought they had, a flurry of black flames appeared in the middle of the burnt earth beside them. The flames lashed out around a figure that quickly formed in their center and died away again just as quickly. Where the fire had been but seconds ago, a man now stood. He was dressed in a long black cloak, a hood covering the top of his head and a mask over his face, his eyes clearly visible through it… Sharingan.  
"Naruto…And Sakura as well, I didn't expect to see the both of you here." The man said with a low, steady voice, he looked Naruto up and down before speaking again,  
"I believe congratulations are in order…Lord Hokage." He said with a sarcastic tone.  
As Naruto stared on, Kurama spoke to him in his mind,  
"Naruto…I've felt this chakra before…" he spoke with a growl, suddenly becoming more aggressive than usual.  
"I know…But. How, how is this even possible? You know as well as I do that he should be dead." Naruto replied, clearly as unnerved as his fox companion.  
Before Naruto could speak back to the masked man though, he spoke up again,  
"I also understand that I should congratulate you on another matter…Hinata is pregnant, am I right?" his voice was so...cold. It made Naruto uneasy, not only had he attack three of his men, but he knew about Hinata's pregnancy. If this really was Sasuke, this was very bad news.  
The man spoke again, this time addressing Naruto's main question,  
"I know, you thought I was dead. After all Naruto, you'd be the one to know that better than anybody, right?" his voice now full of confidence, as if he thought himself untouchable,  
"Should I reveal how wrong you were?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven – Memento**

The masked man claiming to be the presumed dead Sasuke Uchiha, stood firm against the Leaf ninja around him. Each of the ninja stood ready to attack at the first mention from their Hokage. Naruto however remained still, eyes boring in to the Sharingan before him. Could this really be Sasuke? Naruto was sure he was dead, as where Hinata and Kurama. It had been a memory that Naruto had tried to suppress, to push so far back in his mind that he'd never have to think on it again, but this man had other ideas.  
"You seem confused, Naruto…" his ice cold voice chilling the Hokage, he certainly sounded like Sasuke,  
"Allow me to show you what really happened." His eyes focused on Naruto, his Mangekyou trapping him in the infamous tsukuyomi genjutsu.  
Stood before him in this imagined world was Sasuke, the Sasuke that Naruto last saw, a familiar yet strange image. Now able to manipulate things as he saw fit, the aforementioned ninja began,  
"You see Naruto, you never really killed me. I can't be stopped so easily." his voice arrogant and confident. Naruto gritted his teeth in frustration, his anger getting the better of him,  
"Easily!? I was forced to use everything I had against you! How could you have survived that!?" Naruto's question was answered by the murky world around him shifting, and he suddenly found himself alongside a familiar sight. The same sight from four years ago, when Sasuke had kidnapped Hinata…

Sasuke quickly darted from branch to branch, fleeing the village had just successfully infiltrated, his prize won. Over his shoulder was slung an unconscious Hinata, who had fallen victim to Sasuke's surprise attack on the Leaf. He took a quick glance behind him, an expected figure close behind. Naruto had wasted no time in pursuing the deranged Uchiha and his, at this point bride to be, Hinata Hyuga. An evil smile spread across Sasuke's face has he jumped from the trees, landing in a small clearing in the forest below, Naruto only seconds behind.  
"Sasuke! Drop Hinata, now!" Naruto called out, his voice shaking with anger.  
Sasuke's wicked smile remained in place as he lifted the Hyuga girl above him and tossed her towards a nearby tree,  
"Well you said it." His was voice cold and full of evil.  
Naruto's eyes widened as he watched his fiancé hurtle through the air, wasting no time he acted.  
A bright light erupted from Naruto as he entered his Bijuu chakra mode, his speed blinding as he captured Hinata in his arms and landed on a nearby boulder. He stared at her unconscious form, his anger swelling. Without hesitation, Naruto summoned a shadow clone, passing Hinata to him, the clone then simply nodded to the original and bolted from the scene, taking Hinata to safety.  
Sasuke however merely watched before erupting in to manic laughter,  
"She had served her purpose anyway! You were my target all along…Naruto!" his words quickly drowned out by the sound of flames. Naruto span around to see the black fire of amaterasu encompassing him from behind, seeing his options for escape dwindling he leapt in to the air above Sasuke, a rasengan already formed in his hand. Sasuke however simply grinned as a purple light exploded from him and the ribcage of his susanoo formed around him, blocking Naruto's attack.

Hinata woke to the sight of trees flashing past her eyes, confused by her surroundings and how she was even moving. She looked up to see that she was being carried on Naruto's back, towards the village.  
"N-naruto? What happened?" she asked with a weak voice.  
Naruto's clone turned his head slightly to meet Hinata's eyes,  
"Sasuke…He attacked you and lured me out of the village to save you. I'm just a clone, the real me is fighting Sasuke right now."  
The clone's words quickly registered in Hinata's head. Sasuke…Naruto…Fighting?! Mustering her strength, Hinata pushed her way out of the clone's hold and landed on a tree branch, the clone stopping in his tracks.  
"Hinata! I have to get you away from here. If this battle gets out of hand, there's going to be a lot of damage!" the clone Naruto shouted.  
Hinata nodded once, showing that she'd heard the clones words, but she had no intention of going along with them,  
"If the real you is fighting Sasuke, what makes you think I'm just going to sit by and let you fight alone?" her voice surprisingly strong. This is what Naruto had been worried about, if Hinata returned to the battle, she could end up getting caught in one of Sasuke's or even his own powerful jutsu.  
The clone had no time to act however, as Hinata lunged forward and struck it in the chest with a powerful strike, sending it in to a cloud of smoke. She knew Naruto would have felt that, and she'd have to act fast.

The forest around Naruto and Sasuke had quickly become a war zone, the trees scorched and craters littering the ground. Neither of the two ninja would back down though, each countering the other's attacks with their own powerful blow or jutsu.  
Just as Naruto dodged a swing of Sasuke's newly formed susanoo's amaterasu sword, his eyes winded as he sensed the destruction of his shadow clone and the knowledge that Hinata would be headed back towards the fight shook him. Sasuke used this momentary distraction to launch another attack, sending a wave of black flames to engulf Naruto, who quickly regained his composure and launched himself in to the air as the flames expanded below him. This had been part of Sasuke's plan though, and he had already launched an arrow from his susanoo's bow, Naruto could only watch as the demonic projectile drew closer, having no time to dodge. Naruto closing his eyes and braced himself for the worst, but was shocked to hear the voice of Hinata,  
"Gentle Step, Lion Fist Projection!" her words were followed by a burst of chakra surging from her fist in the shape of a lion's head. It hurtled towards the arrow and collided with it in a violent explosion of chakra. Naruto took this opportunity to grab Hinata and retreat out of the blast.  
As the dust settled, Sasuke was shocked to see both Naruto and Hinata standing across from him, Hinata now cloaked with the same chakra as Naruto. If he couldn't convince her to leave, he could at least provide her with as much strength as possible.  
"How? How did you stop my attack!?" Sasuke roared, becoming angry at his failed attacks.  
Hinata narrowed her eyes at the rouge ninja, speaking with barely contained anger herself,  
"I projected my jutsu and used it to block your arrow. While I am here, nothing will touch Naruto!" she screamed, activating her byakugan.  
Sasuke had lost his patience though and was already back on the attack, more arrows being launched towards the reunited couple. Naruto dodged using Kurama's chakra for extra speed, shifting between each shot to advance towards Sasuke. Hinata meanwhile used her defensive trigrams, greatly strengthen by Kurama's chakra, to deflect the arrows upon impact, the battle becoming more violent by the second.

Back in the Leaf village, every available ninja had been called to the Hokage's mansion. Sasuke's infiltration had shaken the peaceful village and Tsunade had ordered an immediate counter attack. Gathered before the Hokage's mansion was a selection of Konoha's finest; Kakashi, Yamato, Sakura, Sai, Lee and Tenten, all of whom were ready to head out and assist Naruto and Hinata. Tsunade looked over her assembled team and began issuing their orders,  
"Sasuke Uchiha has infiltrated the village, he not only managed to sneak in but also escaped with Hinata as a hostage! Now, Naruto was last seen pursuing him out of the village but knowing Sasuke, he's going to need some help. Your mission is to catch up with them and offer any support Naruto may need!"  
Tsunade's speech was cut short however by a large explosion in the distance, at least finding them wouldn't be too difficult.

The raging battle had taken its toll on all three ninja involved. Sasuke had launched attack after attack in the hopes of taking down at least one of his opponents, but Naruto and Hinata had stood strong. Hinata had deflected the majority of his arrows and even managed to extinguish his amaterasu with a strike from her air palm, this had given Naruto the chance to close the gap and he had begun to attack Sasuke head on with as much force as he could bring to bear. The two fated rivals traded blows, Naruto with limbs created by his chakra cloak and Sasuke with his susanoo, neither being able to make any head way against the other. With an enraged strike from Sasuke, Naruto found himself pinned down against the ground, his arms slowly giving out attempting to hold back one of Sasuke's ethereal arms. Just as Naruto's own arms gave way however, Hinata appeared and began fighting Sasuke back, her Twin Lion Fists amplified by Kurama's chakra. Hinata's blows surprised the ever confident Sasuke, who wasn't expecting such a ferocious attack from the once timid Hyuga. Hinata pushed on however, eventually beating back Sasuke and landing a string of strikes against his susanoo's fully formed chest. The attacks left the Uchiha's guardian damaged its armour cracked and weakened, vulnerable to further attack. As Sasuke lined up to strike with his blade in an attempt to defend himself however, a thick wall of wood blocked his path. Hinata and Naruto looked back to see that reinforcements had arrived. Yamato, who had created the wooded defence, was currently engaged in keeping up his protection of Hinata while Kakashi had taken up position with the rest of the group in the trees above, ready to attack.  
"Hmph, so you guys think you can stop me?" Sasuke said with a smirk. He extended one of susanoo's arms in to the trees, sweeping across and grabbing anything it came in contact with. It emerged from the leaves with Tenten in its grasp, the tool expert struggling against its vice like grip.  
"Ah, Tenten. Long time no see…" Sasuke said, his grin still in place as he raised his open hand,  
"But I have no time for you." His voice like death as he clenched his fist closed.  
The susanoo's followed, crushing Tenten in an instant, her body quickly thrown aside, leaving the rest of the Leaf ninja in a state of shock.  
As Tenten's now lifeless body fell to the ground, Sai swooped in on one of his drawn birds to catch her. Retreating somewhat and delivering her in to Sakura's care, there was nothing to be done, but they didn't want to face that fact. Sai took flight again, enraged by the death of one of his comrades, despite the others telling him to stop he pushed forward, his intent to kill Sasuke. The Uchiha stood encased by his protector, no sign of worry on his face at the incoming attack from Sai. He focused his vision on the attacker and Sai was quickly consumed by black flames, falling to the ground with a scream of agony. Despite the efforts of the others, Sai was soon motionless, Sasuke claiming another victim.

Naruto stared on in rage, his friends, some of the most skilled ninja he knew, being cut down in an instant by his former friend and ally. He couldn't take it anymore, there was only one thing left to do. He pushed himself to his feet and began his order,  
"Everyone get back, now! This is going to be a powerful jutsu…"  
The others moved to protest, but Kakashi knew what was coming and quickly convinced the others to leave. Hinata however was still refusing, Naruto dealing with her personally,  
"Please Hinata. You know what I'm about to do…I can't risk you being caught up in this." His voice commanding and stern, whatever he was planning, it was big.  
"No Naruto! I won't let you do this alone! You've always had to face the most difficult battles of your life with nobody to back you up…Not this time!" Hinata said tearfully.  
As Naruto was about to protest, Kurama stopped him, making a request of Naruto. Hinata suddenly found her hand in Naruto's, and was now stood face to face with the nine tailed fox within him.  
" Hinata…I know how much you care for Naruto. But this jutsu could kill you if you stay." Kurama said strongly.  
Hinata nodded in response before speaking,  
"I know, but I can't let him do this alone! You know as well as I do what this could do to him!" tears filling her eyes as she spoke.  
Kurama saw there was no convincing her, and so used the only method he knew of to keep her safe.  
Hinata suddenly found herself completely surrounded with Kurama's chakra, taking on a similar appearance to Naruto, who was equally confused by this.  
"Don't worry Naruto, I can keep her safe in a chakra cloak during the blast. Do what must be done." The fox's voice echoed in his mind. With a reassuring nod from Hinata, Naruto began.  
Placing his hands in front of him, he created a quartet of clones, each one quickly taking positions around Sasuke. As they appeared one by one, the struck with a planetary rasengan, attacking from each side as Sasuke looked on, dazed by the intense attack until finally, on the forth strike his susanoo shattered. Recoiling in terror, Sasuke was drawn to a sound above him, as he noticed all four clones now descending on him with another barrage of rasengan. Swiftly dodging each attack, Sasuke thought he had evaded the danger, but he was wrong.  
Naruto had used his clones to not only break Sasuke's defence, but also distract him. He and Kurama had drawn in a vast amount of chakra, which had mixed and formed a dense sphere before him and Hinata.  
"Sorry…Sasuke…" Naruto muttered sadly as he released the sphere with a roar,  
"Tailed Beast Bomb!"  
Sasuke was frozen by fear as the enormous ball of chakra flew towards him, its light blinding him as it drew closer until eventually…

The others had retreated as far as they could in what time they had, the bodies of Tenten and Sai with them. As they neared the village again they were stopped by a huge explosion and resulting shockwave from the site of the battle. They looked on in awe before Kakashi's voice drew their attention,  
"A Tailed Beast Bomb…" he said with a saddened voice, knowing that the battle was over and who would have survived.

The world around Naruto faded again as he found himself back in the forest outside the leaf village, the masked man claiming to be Sasuke stood before him,  
"Lord Hokage! Are you okay?" one of the Leaf ninja asked.  
Naruto nodded in response, more interested in asking this masked man a pressing question,  
"So, if you are Sasuke…How did you survive?"  
The man gave a small chuckle from behind his mask, before demonstrating his answer. In an eruption of black flames, he vanished and just as quickly reappeared next to Naruto, his arm resting on his shoulder,  
"Just like that." He said with narrowed eyes and a devilish tone.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight – Ghost of the Past**

Naruto stood shakily, his knees weak and his body heavy. The memories he had relived within the tsukuyomi playing over and over in his head. He never wanted to remember that night. The night he killed someone he once considered his closest friend.  
The masked man simply stood unfazed however, his arm resting over Naruto's shoulder as if this was just a casual meeting of two friends. He looked off in to the distance over the young Hokage's shoulders before turning his Sharingan on Naruto, his eyes narrowed and menacing. Strangely, a sigh escaped him and his chilling voice echoed from behind his mask,  
"You see, Naruto, I escaped that night out of sheer luck. A jutsu that even I didn't know exists within these eyes of mine. The jutsu I just revealed to you…A jutsu that allows me to transport myself using a different form of Amaterasu…" he paused a moment, while lifting a hand to his mask and slowly removing it. Naruto's eyes slowly widened as he caught a glimpse of the face beneath it,  
"But this new jutsu activated too late. The heat and force from your dammed Tailed Beast Bomb seared and scarred my body." He said replacing his mask.  
There was no doubt about it, even through the damage, Naruto knew that face belonged to Sasuke.  
Naruto finally overcame his shock, turning his own angered gaze on Sasuke. This was the man that had not only kidnapped Hinata, but had also killed some of his closest friends. Any hope Naruto had of 'saving' Sasuke, had died that night. Just as Naruto had believed Sasuke had.  
Gritting his teach and placing his own arm on Sasuke's, Naruto answered the rouge ninja,  
"Sasuke…I can't…I WONT let you get away this time." as he ended his sentence he pulled a kunai from under his clock, the tip aimed for Sasuke's heart. But the Uchiha wasn't that easy to kill, and his black flames quickly enveloped him again, his body reappearing on a nearby branch.  
"Sorry Naruto, but I have no intention of letting you stop me. After all, I'm not quite ready for my plan to be put in to effect quite yet…" he said with a confident tone, his eyes narrowed under his mask again.  
"Plan? What plan!?" Naruto screamed, motioning silently to the other ninja around him to move in on Sasuke.  
"You'll see soon enough..." he replied before beginning to vanish again,  
"But rest assured, you won't be surviving it." And with that he was gone. Naruto couldn't even sense his chakra anymore.  
He gritted his teeth in anger again, his eyes slammed closed,  
"Sas-uke…"

One month after the attack and subsequent escape of the now confirmed Sasuke Uchiha, the Leaf Village had become a very different place. Security was placed around every entrance to the village and squads patrolled the surrounding forest twenty four hours a day. Naruto had also called an emergency Kage summit to discuss the threat Sasuke may pose to the other nations, something the other Kage agreed to immediately. They all knew how dangerous the Uchiha was. With the preparations sorted, escorts confirmed and the Kage safely in the village, Naruto gathered them in his office to begin the meeting, Hinata by his side.  
Seated around a large table was Gaara, the Sand's Kazekage. A, the Cloud's Raikage. Mei, the Mist's Mizukage. Kurotsuchi, the Stones Tsuchikage. And of course Naruto, the current Hokage and his wife Hianta.  
Seeing as everyone was present and seated, Naruto stood to address his fellow Kage,  
"Thank you all for coming. I know this is rather short notice and the subject rather…unexpected, but this is something we must all address as the leaders of our villages." Naruto said in the most mature voice he could manage.  
Despite the circumstances, Gaara couldn't help but smile,  
"Naruto...It's been a while, but it isn't like you to sound so…Mature." He said in his usual calm voice.  
The other Kage gave small laughs at Gaara's observation, obviously willing to relax while among friends.  
Eventually though, the topic turned back to the new threat they faced, Sasuke Uchiha. A wasn't pleased to hear that name again. After Sasuke attacked his brother and Naruto's fellow jinchuuriki Killer Bee, he had sworn to kill him personally. He was in fact overjoyed when news of his supposed death reached him. Gaara was noticeably saddened by Sasuke's return. He had once tried to reason with the fallen ninja, explaining that they had both felt pain yet he himself had managed to overcome it and questioned him on how he could have stayed in the darkness when he had Naruto by his side. The other two Kage knew much less about him however, having only met him once.  
The conversation gradually became much more heated as A's anger got the better of him. He was always quick to anger with his short temper, and on such a touchy subject, his fuse was even shorter.  
"I don't care what it takes! We should hunt him down and have him killed once and for all!" the Raikage bellowed with his almost animalistic voice.  
"But surely we could at least try to capture him alive? We should find out what he has been doing over the past few years, shouldn't we?" Gaara retorted, not wanting to see Sasuke dead just yet.  
"The Kazekage has a point. He may have been plotting against us all for some time now." Added the Mizukage.  
"The Raikage is right. He's proven himself too dangerous to be left alive." Spoke the Tsuchikage.  
After all giving their opinions, they turned to Naruto. In truth, they all expected him to agree with Gaara and Mei, he had always made it a point that he would save Sasuke. His response was very different however,  
"A and Kurotsuchi are right. He is far too dangerous now. I agree, we need to find out what he's been up to, but at what cost? Can we really risk the safety of our villages and people on the very slim chance he actually gives up any information?" the Hokage's words were calm and collected, his outward appearance very professional. Hinata could see past this though. Even though he really did agree that he had gone too far and that Sasuke should be silenced, he was far from enjoying the thought of having to watch him die. In his mind, for the second time.

The meeting had ended without a decision being made. While each could see the merits of the others opinions, they wouldn't budge on their own. The decision had been made to meet again in another two weeks, each having had time to think over the facts and intel they'd shared.  
Needless to say, Naruto was exhausted. He was busy with the village's safety and now the task of dealing with Sasuke. Not to mention his new found worry of what the Uchiha could do to his wife and unborn child if he got hold of them. He knew Sasuke wasn't above using Hinata to get to him, he'd done it before.  
The aforementioned couple were now back at their own home. Naruto had immediately collapsed on the couch, his head in his hands, eyes fixed on the ceiling. Hinata was worried herself, it wasn't like Naruto to get so down. She knew why, she knew how he felt, but for the first time in as long as she could remember she didn't know how to help him. Deciding that anything would be better than nothing, she sat herself next to her husband and pulled him in to the tightest embrace she could. Naruto didn't fight or struggle, he buried his face in to her shoulder and let his feelings out.  
"Why Hinata? Why did he have to come back? I-I don't know if I can do this all again…" he said sobbing.  
Hinata closed her own eyes trying to stop her own tears she felt stinging her eyes. These tears weren't for Sasuke, she'd never forgive him, they were for Naruto. For what Sasuke was doing to him.  
"Naruto…I was with you that night, I know what it did to you. I helped you get through that and I'll help you through this too. He will NEVER bring you down to his level. Not while I'm here." Her own voice cracking as she let her own tears break free.  
Naruto knew it. She wouldn't let him win, and neither would he. Hinata's words could help him more than anything else in the world at times like these. Still in the embrace, Naruto noticed something, a smile brought to his tear streaked face,  
"You know, you're getting bigger lately." He joked as he placed a hand on Hinata's stomach.  
She blushed at his remark, still slightly uncomfortable talking about her appearance now she was pregnant,  
"But you're right. And I'm not helping by breaking down like this. I'm the Hokage now after all! And as long as I have you and our child, I'll never let him beat me. I'll take him down again if I have to. For the sake of my family…" he continued, his words brining a tearful smile to Hinata.  
"I know you will…"

It was difficult to see in the gloom of the dank, dark cave. A figure walked through its dark passages, the sound of his footsteps echoing off of the hard stone, a red glow emitting from his eyes. As he walked the sound of combat slowly began to reach his ears, getting louder as he went, until eventually he stepped in to a large cavern. The space was filled with training equipment, weapons, armour and dozens of ninja. As the figure stepped in to the cavern, they all stopped their activities and bowed before him,  
"Welcome back, Lord Sasuke." Spoke a particularly large man near the entrance.  
Sasuke tossed him a glance as he passed by before addressing the collective,  
"So, how is the training progressing? Are you on schedule?" his cold voice echoed through the rocky room.  
From within the crowd, a familiar voice sounded, getting louder as its owner pushed through the groups of ninja towards Sasuke,  
"We are. These guys should be ready within the next few months." Said Sasuke's long time companion Suigetsu Hozuki, a skilled swords master formerly of the mist village.  
"Excellent." Replied Sasuke as he progressed towards the back of the cavern, a small door just a few feet away from him,  
"I'll be meditating, nobody interrupt me." The Uchiha said strongly as he stepped through the door, closing it with a quick slam.

Once inside his private quarters, Sasuke began to remove his cloak and mask. His cloak covered a set of black battle armour, perfectly crafted for defence in battle while allowing unhindered movement. His mask was much more ornate than his armour however. It was coloured black, but had the pattern of his Mangekyou around the eye sockets, and two red streaks running from its chin to the top of the mask at either side.  
The mask covered his damaged face, some of which was further protected by a layer of bandages. What was visible was clearly badly damaged. Scars ran across the entirety of his skin, some of which were twisted and morphed by burns. His eyes however were as potent as ever. Two red orbs capable of unimaginable power.  
With his equipment removed, Sasuke seated himself on a mat in the center of the room, his legs crossed and his hands placed on his knees. He sat like that for a good while, his eyes tightly closed, not a sound to be heard. Suddenly though, his eyes shot open he slammed a fist in to the ground in anger,  
"Damn it! Still nothing! How can I advance if my body won't even obey me!?" he roared, his usual calm and cold voice filled with anger.  
A knock on the door interrupted his rage however and he turned his head to face it, an expression of anger still on his face,  
"I thought I said I wasn't to be disturbed!"  
"I know, but we need to talk." Suigetsu's voice called from the other side of the thick wooden door.  
"Fine." Was the only response he got, and he slowly pushed open the door, stepping in to the room.  
Sasuke's room always creped him out. It was so dark, only lit by a couple of candles, their dim flames casting dancing shadows over the uneven stone walls. And Sasuke always had a desk covered in various books and scrolls, some looking very disturbing with various depictions of the human anatomy displayed in them.  
Suigetsu was snapped out of his inspection by Sasuke's still angry voice rather quickly,  
"So, what is it?"  
The swordsman gulped before speaking, slightly nervous of Sasuke's rage,  
"Well…Those guys out there. Like I said, they'll be ready on time but…They really aren't up to what you're planning. We need more skilled ninja, Sasuke." He said, regaining some confidence.  
Sasuke turned his back to his ally and walked over to a darkened corner of his room, placing a hand on a small chest in the corner,  
"Don't worry. When the time comes, I have something to turn the tide. Those men out there…Are expendable." His voice was clam again. Calm and cold.  
Suigetsu hated him when he was like this, he may not exactly care about the people out there, but to him each was a potential asset they could use,  
"Look Sasuke! If you want this to work, you're gonna need more men! That, or give me more time with these guys!" his voice now filled with a hint of anger.  
Sasuke turned his head slightly, his eyes glowing in the dark of the room,  
"When the time comes…Those men will die for me. And the leaf…will be crushed."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine – Time Alone**

The mountains, a perfect retreat for one to recharge their batteries, relax and just enjoy life. The exact reasons why Hinata had chosen them as the location of her and Naruto's weekend break. Admittedly, Naruto was sceptical of leaving the village, with the threat of Sasuke attacking and his duties as Hokage needing to be fulfilled. But arguing with a six month pregnant, hormonal and dead set Hinata was almost impossible. It was hard enough at the best of times! She had planned this weekend to give Naruto a much needed break, and to have him to herself for a couple of days. The exact same reasons as to why Naruto couldn't turn her down also helped 'convince' Tsunade to fill in as a substitute Hokage for the weekend too, though in truth, she would probably have said yes anyway. She knew as well as anyone the need for a break every now and again.

The couple had been walking for a few hours now, well Naruto had been walking, Hinata had been carried…on Naruto's back. This was Naruto's idea though, deciding that this much walking couldn't be good for Hinata or their baby. As they neared their destination however, Naruto had let her walk again and they continued hand in hand through a forest of pine trees, the sounds and smells of the forest all around them. It was beautiful here, peaceful and relaxing too, Hinata's choice to come here being all the more evident. After a few more minutes of walking, the trees began to thin, giving way to a small clearing nestled in the mountains. In this clearing was an impressive looking lodge, a lodge that seemed very familiar to Naruto.  
"Hey Hinata…Is that one of-"  
"One of Yamato's lodges? Yes." She said, interrupting her bewildered husband.  
Naruto blinked in surprise,  
"But when did he-"  
"Oh this has been here for some time. He told me that he set this place up on a previous mission years ago, and people have used it as a sort of get away ever since." Her words interrupting Naruto's question again.  
Well, Naruto was certainly impressed. Hinata seemed to have gone to great effort to give the two of them a relaxing weekend together, and he certainly wasn't going to complain about it.

Stepping inside the large wooden lodge, the two young ninja found themselves greeted by an impressive living room. Large, comfortable looking couches, a wide fire place stocked with logs, book shelves packed with an assortment of books and novels and a huge arched window at the back of the room looking out over the land below. These were only a few of the things the couple noticed as they glanced around the room.  
"Wow…It's amazing!" Naruto said, delighted by the sight in front of him. Before he could explore the building further though, he was pulled in to a tight hug by Hinata, followed by a deep kiss.  
"…And so was that." He gasped as they broke apart, both gasping for breath.  
Hinata blushed at her own forwardness,  
"Well, it's nice to have you to myself for a while…" she said, her eyes locked on his. After everything that had happened over the past couple of months, the two of them had been able to spend very little time together, and when they had, Naruto had been so worn out he could barely function.  
This then was a chance to change that, to get away from the hectic and quite possibly, dangerous, village. Even if it was just two days.

Hinata led Naruto up the i9mpressive staircase, leading him to along another beautiful looking corridor of the house before stopping in front of a solid wooden door. Pushing it open slowly, they were greeted by a large bedroom, filled with anything either of them could possibly need; a huge bed, its own separate bathroom, a balcony overlooking the land below and an assortment of other items and objects. The young couple hadn't brought much with them, so unpacking didn't take long, leaving them more time to explore their weekend home. Hinata had quickly found the well stocked kitchen, she was eating for two now after all, and Naruto had found an assortment of other bedrooms upstairs, not really much use to them, but adding to the sense of scale to the place.  
Naruto however soon made a spectacular discovery,  
"Hinata! Come here, quick!" he shouted enthusiastically as he stood by a small door by the back of the lodge,  
"What is it, Naruto?" Hinata asked as she slowly walked over to Naruto, an expression of curiosity on her face. Naruto grinned and opened the door, revealing a sight that stunned his wife. The door opened to a large decked area at the back of the building, this decked area was surrounded by trees and mountain plants with steam slowly dancing in the mountain breeze. The steam coming from a secluded, beautiful and stony looking hot spring which was nestled within the deck itself.  
"So, how about it?" Naruto said with a small laugh at Hi8nata's expense. Her eyes still fixed on the sight before her, she just gave a small nod and wandered over to the spring, dipping a hand in to the water. It was perfect. Hot enough to beat the cool mountain air, but not so hot that I would make you uncomfortable. Naruto had a feeling he would know where to find his wife for the majority of this trip.

Night had descended on Naruto and Hinata's mountain hideaway, and the two were now relaxing in Naruto's discovered hot spring. Utter relaxation, the only thing Naruto could feel. It was if there was nothing for him to worry about, no Sasuke, no village, nothing. This was the perfect retreat for the two…maybe Hinata really could read his mind.  
Thoughts of mind reading aside, Naruto had moved on to something far more important, well to him anyway, baby names.  
"Come on Hinata, Jiraiya is a great name…Or even Minato! I'm sure my parents would love that…" Naruto's last line deliver with slight sadness, but he didn't let it keep him down before starting back up again,  
"I do like the name Neji though, and it would be great to honour him…"  
Hinata however had changed her mind it seems,  
"I don't think it's such a good idea anymore…I mean, Neji was a very…Peculiar person…"  
"And you don't want our son to turn out like him?" Naruto said with a smirk, receiving a playful slap from Hinata for it.  
"That's not what I mean! Anyway, if that was the case, image what would happen if we named him after Jiraiya!" Hinata said thoughtfully.  
Naruto hadn't thought of that…Just the image of his son running around the village trying to peek on girls and spending all of his time hunting them down made him shiver.  
"Okay…So a maybe then?" he said shyly,  
"Yes…Maybe." Hinata's voice almost a mirror.  
After another hour or so of small talk, playing around and a little name suggesting, the two called it a night. Naruto carried Hinata off to their room and seeing that she'd already fallen asleep while on the way, set her down on the bed and took his place next to her.

Haze…Just thick…Haze. But why? Where..? Naruto didn't understand, he had opened his eyes slowly to the sight of, well, nothing. He found himself stood in vast emptiness, nothing but a yellowish haze to be seen in any direction. It felt…familiar? The sound of footsteps in the dead silence caught Naruto's attention, prompting him to spin full circle to meet the sound. The sight that greeted him froze his mind,  
"M-mom? Dad?"  
Naruto ran to his parents, taking them both in a hug with both arms. Both Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze had died over twenty five years ago now, and Naruto had only met them through the remnants of their chakra once each during difficult battles in his life. To meet them now, what was the reason?  
Kushina returned her son's hug with equal strength, her smile as bold as his trademark one. Minato also returned the hug, his confident grin crossing his face.  
After managing to pry Naruto from them, all three sat down in the empty space they occupied, each having a lot to talk about.  
"Well…I suppose the biggest question is, how are you guys even here?" Naruto asked, his fingers cupping his chin in thought.  
"There's a lot of things that even we don't understand in this world and the next, Naruto. In truth, we're not exactly sure either. Although, we have tried to reach you more than once over the years." Kushina said with a smile.  
"For example, on your wedding day! Good job kiddo!" Minato chimed in, patting his son's shoulder.  
Naruto sat dazed for a moment,  
"Wait…You guys have seen everything I've been doing all this time?" he questioned.  
"Well, not everything. But the important things yes. Your victory in the war, your marriage, the news about your son and you becoming Hokage!" his mother said enthusiastically.  
Both her and Minato spent a few seconds looking over their son before turning to each other with smiles,  
"You've grown in to a fine man, Naruto."  
"Better than either of us could have hoped." Minato's words quickly followed by Kushina's as they looked back to their son.  
Naruto's smile was so big, his parents were sure it was unnatural, but this kind of praise wasn't common for Naruto. And to hear it from his parents was something he never thought he'd hear.  
But he quickly realized that they wouldn't have appeared to him just to let him know they were proud of him, something must be…  
"So what's happened?" Naruto said seriously.  
His parents both hardened their expressions, following Naruto's lead and getting down to business,  
"Sasuke…He's not what he seems." Answered Minato.  
"What do you mean 'not what he seems'?" replied his son.  
"He's done things no living man should have been able to do." Interjected Kushina, her expression now more one of worry.  
"I'm still amazed he survived our last battle, what else could he have done to surprise me?" asked Naruto, now even more curious.  
Minato thought for a moment, thinking of how best to describe the situatin to his son,  
"He's walked the world of the dead while still existing in the world of the living. He's seen things that should have been lost and spoken with people who should have never been disturbed." He answered, his voice low but strong.  
This was unexpected, how could he even accomplish something like that? To meet with the dead while keeping his own life?  
Naruto thought himself, thinking on how he could gather more information about Sasuke's mysterious endeavours. Just as he was about to speak however, Kushina stepped in,  
"He's spoken with a number of dead Uchiha. Including Madara. We believe that they have given him access to knowledge he could use to unlock powerful abilities, the likes of which have never been seen." She added, giving Naruto more to think over.  
"But how could they have spoken with him…I don't mean to sound harsh but, you're all dead, right?" he asked saddened.  
Kushina and Minato simply smiled at their son before Minato spoke himself,  
"Death isn't the end Naruto." He said softly before standing with Kushina.  
"We've told you all we can, we have to leave now. Use what we've told you, prepare yourself and act quickly. If Sasuke has enough time, he could become unstoppable." Minato spoke again, taking his son's shoulder in his hand.  
Naruto nodded quickly, he wouldn't waste his parent's vital information. Just as he opened his mouth to speak though, both Kushina and Minato began to vanish in to the haze, their last words echoing in Naruto's mind,  
"We love you, Naruto…"

Naruto woke the next morning in a start, jumping out of bed, his eyes snapping open. What the hell was that? A dream…Or something more? He looked over o Hinata, seeing her still sleeping form. While he hated to do this, he knew it was necessary.  
He shock Hinata's shoulder gently, trying to wake her,  
"Hinata? Hinata, wake up." He said, his voice soft.  
His wife stirred slightly before opening her brilliant white eyes, confused as to why she'd been woken,  
"What is it Naruto?" she asked, still sleepy.  
"We need to get back to the village, as fast as we can." Naruto replied, his voice urgent now.  
"W-what? Why, what's happened Naruto? Is something wrong?" Hinata was becoming worried now, she knew he wouldn't do this unless he had to.  
"I learnt something last night about Sasuke. Something that we have to act on now." The Hokage spoke, beginning to grab a few items of clothing scattered around the room.  
Hinata's face was the definition of confused. She slowly climbed out of he bed, making her way over to Naruto who was now quickly packing bags,  
"How? Who told you this?" she asked worried.  
"…My parents."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten – Questions and Answers**

It's strange not hearing from someone when they claim to be hell bent on destroying everything you hold dear. But after another month of silence and dead ends, that was exactly what was happening. Naruto and Hinata had returned from their break in the hopes of using the information Minato and Kushina had provided to track down or at least come up with some sort of strategy to use against Sasuke. So far though, nothing. Sasuke hadn't revealed himself since the attack on the village and all attempts to locate him were coming up empty. Naruto had given Shikamaru all the information he could with hopes that he would be able to come up with a battle plan, but the genius ninja needed more than what Naruto could give, again coming up empty. It's no wonder then that Naruto had gone off of the deep end,  
"H-hinata…Help…Me!" Naruto pleaded, slamming his head down against his desk, drawing the attention of his heavily pregnant wife,  
"I wish I could Naruto…But I know as much as you-" she paused for a moment before moving over to her husband's desk and putting a hand in his messy blonde hair,  
"But don't you think you're overworking yourself? There's nothing to be gained by stressing over something you can't change." She ended with a smile.  
Of course, she was right. I didn't matter how much thought Naruto put in to this, he wouldn't be able to come up with anything until he had more information. Hinata's words had worked, Naruto slowly lifted his head from his desk and wrapped an arm around his wife,  
"You're right. This is time we should spent together, I can't change what I have no control over." He said with a smirk, standing and helping Hinata up from her seat next to his own.

Sasuke sat cross legged on the floor of his chamber, the dim light almost darkness while he meditated, lost in what seemed to be another world. He found himself surrounded by darkness, no? More of thick fog of smoke, maybe? He turned to face the sound of approaching footsteps, coming face to face with his new ally,  
"Madara…" he spoke with his usual chilling voice,  
"What news do you have for me?"  
Madara narrowed his eyes at the daring Uchiha, someone so young and inferior had no right to treat him as a servant,  
"Watch your mouth, whelp. Among the ordinary ninja you may be powerful, but amongst the Uchiha you are nothing to me." The dead ninja spoke with a cruel tone. More chilling even than his Uchiha partner,  
"But I do have news, urgent new that must be acted upon. Naruto has been informed of our partnership by his damned parents. He has had this knowledge for a month already, he must be stopped."  
"A month? Why didn't you tell me this sooner!?" Sasuke roared, angered by the lateness of something so vital.  
Madara merely snorted, already displeased with his new plaything,  
"Because building up enough power to manifest myself like this takes time, boy! And I only discovered this myself recently, be thankful I informed you so quickly."  
Sasuke gave him an icy glare before he spoke again, this time on a more personal matter,  
"The information you gave me about my eyes. It was wrong, nothing has changed." He said with a hint of anger.  
"That's because awakening such power takes time, effort and concentration. Did you think you would be able to unlock such ability overnight? Patience is something you sorely lack." The elder Uchiha replied, seemingly less interested with Sasuke's problem.  
The younger Uchiha's response simply a cold stare and a turned back,  
"Well then, if that's all I'm getting from you, I'll be going. I have things to attend to." Not giving Madara chance to reply, Sasuke opened his eyes, breaking his meditated state.  
"Damned stubborn bastard."

Night had now fallen over the Leaf Village, and with summer gone autumn had taken hold. The nights were cooler now, more rain and wind was to be expected, but not as much as there was right now in Naruto's book.  
"Geeze, it's really coming down out there…" the blonde ninja said with his face pressed against the window, watching the rain lashing down outside.  
Hinata strolled up behind him and quickly swatted his head with a book she had been reading,  
"I just cleaned those windows, Naruto! No face prints!" her order given sharply.  
Naruto rubbed his head while apologizing, in truth he should have known better, Hinata may normally be a very easy going person, but these hormones would be the death if him.  
"Ah, sorry sorry sorry! I'll clean it again!" it could only have been more pathetic if he had been on his knees. Hinata however had already moved on,  
"Actually…I think I'd like something to eat."  
Not just the hormones, the cravings too!?  
It wasn't like Naruto to turn down food though, and soon the two of them were seated around the table, happily eating Naruto's prepared meal.  
"We still need to decide on a name, you know?" Hinata said while attacking a piece of meat with her chop sticks.  
"I know-" stared Naruto before picking up his bowl of ramen and gulping down the broth,  
"-But we always seem to hit a wall when we try to come up with one…Maybe if we focus on not thinking of a name, one will come to us!" he said with great enthusiasm, clearly very proud of his idea. Hinata however…  
"No. That's just being lazy." Her words blunt.

After another few hormonal mishaps and strange cravings, the young parents to be had decided to call it a night, the two of them now happily sprawled out in bed beside each other. Being pregnant may be tiring, but having to look after the pregnant woman was something else to Naruto.  
The young Hokage wasn't quite asleep yet though, and was actually speaking with Kurama about something that had be bothering him,  
"So, how do the dead even come back to speak to people? I mean, I didn't really question it when it happened but now that I think about it…" Naruto went on, getting lost in his thoughts,  
"Well, like your parents said, there are a lot of things that we don't understand. And they were quite obviously right about death not being the end." Kurama replied, this had tickled his curiosity too.  
"That aside though, if they were able to get information about Sasuke and Madara, do you think they'd be able to find out anything else for us?" Naruto asked hopefully, if it meant he could see his parents again, he would jump at the chance.  
Kurama closed his eyes in thought for a moment, unsure exactly of his own answer,  
"I suppose it's possible. If they could do it once why not again, right?" he paused for a moment, considering something else,  
"But then why only now? If they are capable of doing this, why not appear to you more often in the first place?"  
Kurama's question hung in the silence for a moment before Naruto broke it,  
"Well, I suppose these are things we'll just have to find out for ourselves. Anyway, I'm gonna get some sleep now." He said with a stretch, strange that he would stretch in his mind and not in reality.

The cavern of Sasuke's headquarters was, as usual, filled with training ninja. He walked among them, silently observing their skills, weaknesses the power they had. Suigetsu had been right, these ninja would stand no chance in an attack on Konoha, but he didn't care. They would serve their purpose.  
As he wandered though the crowds, he came across the swords master, who seemed to be helping a young ninja train. Sasuke walked over to the two of them, his devilish eyes locked on the ninja.  
"What's going on here, Suigetsu?" he spoke with a disinterested tone, seemingly not caring.  
"This guy has been having trouble with his jutsu, as it is he won't be much use in battle, so I'm helping him out." Suigetsu replied.  
"Really…Well people who can't contribute, are worthless to me." Sasuke growled, raising a hand towards the young ninja,  
"L-lord S-sasuke?" were the only words he could speak before Sasuke's amaterasu enveloped his body, burning him to such a degree that his body was left as ash.  
The other ninja around him looked on in disbelief, their master had just killed one of his own for being weak?  
Sasuke quickly noticed their reaction however, and used it to his advantage,  
"Listen to me, all of you. If you are too weak to even be o use, you will be killed. I won't suffer fools are weaklings here and I have no issue with killing any of you. This man was weak, and so he paid for it. If you want to live you will become stronger, more able. You will become the army I desire. Do I make myself clear?"  
Sasuke's speech was heard loud and clear, a collective of "Yes, Lord Sasuke!" was enough to tell him that. Seeing that his message had been received, he turned to head back to his room, Suigetsu however followed close behind. As he opened his door and stepped inside, his companion burst through the doorway, visibly angered by what had just happened,  
"What the hell was that!?" Suigetsu roared, his anger flowing freely.  
Sasuke however just looked at him, his usual disinterested stare,  
"You heard my speech. It was what it was." His voice the usual cold drone.  
"You told me to turn them in to an army! How can I do that if you kill them for being below your perfect standards?!" admittedly, even Suigetsu thought he may have gone too far with that one. Sasuke however just didn't seem to care.  
"You have plenty of men left. Train them. They won't be giving you any trouble like that last one now." He replied with a glare, sending Suigetsu on his way again. He stopped for a moment in the doorway though, looking back over his shoulder at the man now sitting in the darkness,  
"You've changed, Sasuke. And nobody will tell you it's for the better."

Special Thanks!  
First off, sorry for this chapter being a little shorter than usual, I didn't want to just throw stuff in for the sake of padding it out.  
Anyway! I'd like to thank everyone for the support you've given me with this story so far, it really has been amazing. The reviews have been very encouraging and helpful towards pointing out mistakes and areas that could be improved, as well as just giving me a polite bit of feedback. That being said, updates may slow for a time, as I'm struggling with the writing at the moment, and I don't want to ruin what a lot of you are enjoying. But I'll try to keep to one update a week minimum!  
So once again, thank you all for the support and I hope you enjoy the chapters to come!

-Simple Shadows.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven – Beginning of the End**

Sasuke sat in his room, the usual candles remaining unlit, bathing the room in total darkness. He was lost in meditation and paid no mind to the world around him. He had been like this for weeks now, only leaving the confines of his sanctum when absolutely necessary. This new found power that Madara had spoken of had driven him to the edge of madness, it seemed to be eternally out of his reach, just beyond his grasp.  
Suigetsu stood before his door, doing nothing but staring at the tick wooden barrier between them. He had said some harsh things to Sasuke, things that may be true, but shouldn't have been said. Even if darkness had consumed him, he still considered Sasuke a friend. A sudden quite sound drew the sword masters attention however, it sounded like…laughter? The sound growing louder behind the door until eventually, Sasuke's manic laughter echoed throughout the entire cavern.  
The door swung open slowly revealing a changed Sasuke, purple flames leaked from his body, his eyes different from before.  
"We're ready." He grinned, placing his mask over his face,  
"I'll gather the men then, shall I?" replied Suigetsu, who was somewhat concerned by Sasuke's new appearance.  
"No…There's been a change of plans…" he spoke menacingly, flashing his comrade a devilish glance. All Suigetsu saw was a Sharingan tainted with a purple glow.

Sasuke's men stood gathered in the cavern, each man dressed in full combat gear, head bands adorned with the Uchiha crest identifying them as his own legion. The aforementioned Uchiha slowly climbed a small podium before his men, scouring his attack force with his new eyes.  
"You have all been trained to serve me. To follow my every command. To die for me." He began, his eyes still roaming his troops,  
"You have been told that you would be attacking Konoha in an all out offensive…Things have changed. You will be split in to strike teams. Each attacking a different hidden village…"  
This new information elicited a surprised gasp from the men before him, this was a move that even Suigetsu didn't anticipate.  
Sasuke raised a hand to silence the crowd, his eyes giving off an eerie light as he did so, quickly prompting the men to follow his command.  
"With each of the villages in disarray, they will be unable to assist the leaf when we launch our main attack. This main group will be lead by me, and only the strongest of you will be accompanying me in this attack…But heed these words. Nobody touches the Hokage or his Hyuga wife but ME."  
With his orders given, the collective in front of him gave a "Yes, Lord Sasuke!" and quickly set about gathering their gear and splitting in to their groups, allocated by a new overwhelmed Suigetsu. The strongest had already been ordered to Sasuke, as Suigetsu knew his own men well, it wasn't difficult to pick them out. Each team now stood before their master again, equipment at the ready and orders memorized,  
"You will now be sent to your targets. Attack with full force, do not let the enemy push you back. Fight to your deaths!" Sasuke's death like voice rang out. One ninja stepped forward, asking a question they were all wondering,  
"Sir. You say we are to be sent to our targets. Sent how?"  
Sasuke simply smirked under his mask and answered with a wave of his hand,  
"Like this." With his words a torrent of black flames enveloped his men, sending each squad to their target villages.  
Suigetsu looked to his old friend, concerned, worried not only for him, but their men.  
"Sasuke, we only had enough men to send thirty to each village, you only have ten men with you, is this going to be enough?" he asked with a worried tone.  
Again, Sasuke just smirked and answered in his usual unnerving calmness,  
"That's why I have this…" he spoke as a cloud of black flame materialized the chest from his quarters at his feet.  
Giving one last glare to Suigetsu, Sasuke transported himself and the remaining men, including Suigetsu to tier target…Konoha.

"Lord Kazekage! They just keep coming, we can't hold them back!" a distressed sand shinobi called out.  
"Then step back. I'll handle this." Spoke Gaara as his sand began to billow around him.  
The sand had been hit by a very direct attack, the teams sent their by Sasuke opting to use brute force. Having no warning of the impending attack, Gaara's men were taken completely off guard, and lost a lot of ground fast. Now that the Kazekage was stepping in to the battle however, things where sure to change.  
Walls of sand erupted from the ground, shielding terrified ninja from incoming shuriken and kunai, giant pit began to drag in the less wary attackers and well placed balls of sand collided with fire balls as they made their way towards various buildings in the village. With their Lord Gaara's help, the sand shinobi could now fight back.

A flash of light blinded a group of Sasuke's ninja, who just as quickly fell to the ground in agony. Behind them stood an enraged Raikage, his eyes almost popping out of his skull in anger when he saw the Uchiha crest on the attacker's headbands.  
"That damned Uchiha! I'll have his head for this!" he roared as he grabbed one of the defeated ninja by the throat. His anger distracted him from an incoming shuriken however, which was fortunately blocked seconds before impact by a large tentacle.  
"Watch your back. Fool, ya fool!" Killer B said in his usual rap style, quickly slamming a transformed fist in to another attacker.  
The AB combo quickly set about demolishing any other attackers in their path, along with aiding any other cloud ninja they came across.

A group of Sasuke loyalists screamed in agony as their skin began to burn in a heated mist. Mei the Mizukage stood close by, blowing more of the hazardous fog from her lips before ending her victims torment. Glancing at the crest they wore, she sighed heavily,  
"And he was such a handsome young man." She breathed sadly.  
Her mock sadness was quickly interrupted by the arrival of a group of mist ninja however,  
"Lady Mizukage! Sentries report attacks all over the village, each baring the same mark!" a panicked kunoichi spoke. The Mizukage however interrupted her report by firing a ball of magma past her head, hitting another of Sasuke's men in the chest,  
"Such a shame…" she sighed again.

A trio of boulders slammed in to the attacking ninja in the Stone Village, the Tsuchikage Kurotsuchi was easily holding her own against the invaders.  
"Hmph! You'll have to do better than that!" she mocked as she prepared another volley of stone.  
Another stone ninja landed next to her suddenly, quickly delivering his report,  
"M'lady! Enemy ninja have appeared throughout the village in a blaze of black flame!" he spoke hurriedly.  
The Tsuchikage fired off her next attack before turning to the ninja with a an unimpressed expression,  
"Really? You think I hadn't noticed?!" she screamed.  
"N-no, I just…" the young ninja started before being cut off,  
"Relax kid, good work. Go and alert the ninja in the barracks!"  
The young man gave a quick bow and was off again. Kurotsuchi smirked at another group of attackers,  
"So, you guys ready to go?"

A group of patrolling leaf ninja stood guard in the forest outside the village, the village had been on alert since Sasuke's last appearance for moments such as a surprise attack. The three ninja where taken totally off guard however, as a sea of flame erupted from the ground and deposited Sasuke and his men. Sasuke looked to the three leaf ninja and immediately two of them found themselves enveloped in a purple flame that quickly spread across their body and phased out of existence, along with their bodies. The remaining ninja trembled from the sight he had just witnessed, unable to even act as Sasuke appeared right before his eyes. The last sight the ninja saw was the new purple Sharingan of Sasuke Uchiha before the same purple flames seemed to destroy the ninja's very mind.  
Once the final obstacle fell before his feet, Sasuke ordered his troops to begin their attack, along with Suigetsu. Each ninja that Sasuke had brought with him in his personal squad was more than powerful enough to hold their own against a group of leaf ninja, exactly what he needed to buy him the time to seek out his own target, Naruto Uzumaki.

Within the Leaf Village itself, battles had already broken out. Kakashi found himself face to face with a rather skilled fire style user, who was turning out to be more of a challenge than expected. Noticing the Uchiha crest the ninja adorned he quickly reached an accurate conclusion,  
"So, this is his play, huh?" he muttered from beneath his face mask,  
"Well then, I'd better wrap this up quickly…" he said forcefully as he revealed his Sharingan and charged his Lightning Blade.  
Across the village, Gai was tearing through a young ninja who also happened to be skilled in Taijutsu,  
"Good! Show me your full power of youth!" the eccentric ninja exclaimed as he launched another barrage of blows at his target.  
Even the former Hokage had taken up arms and was currently smashing her way through a couple of ninja in one of the village's parks, assisted by Shizune and Sakura, the latter of which had quickly noticed the Uchiha emblem they wore,  
"Lady Tsunade! Their forehead protectors!" she singled over the sounds of battle. Tsunade had already picked up on this detail though,  
"I'm aware. Now we just have to wait for him to get here…"  
The sounds of battle could be heard all across the Leaf, Sasuke's troops holding their own against the forces of the village. It was now that Sasuke realized that his plans were actually coming to fruition. Everything was going according to plan.

A worried looking Hinata stared out of the living room window, looking down on the village as Sasuke's forces pushed through, breaking their way further in to the village. She had seen the initial attack with her Byakugan, and instinctively tried to go and help her friends in battle. Naruto wasn't going to let that happen though. He had sensed the arrival of the attackers almost immediately, along with the chakra of their leader. He had rushed to gather his gear and was now slowly approaching his expecting wife,  
"Hinata, you know I have to stop him. I can't risk you being caught up in this." He spoke softly. Hinata was now seven months pregnant and Naruto was all the more protective of her, wanting her as far away from the village as possible.  
"I know…Be careful Naruto…I love you." She said fighting back her tears.  
Naruto tried to calm her as best he could before flashing out of the room, leaving Hinata with one of his clones for safety.

Sasuke stood upon one of the many rooftops in the village, looking out at the battles before him and striking down the occasional attacker. His smirk grew ever wider under his mask and his manic laughter erupted from him as he relished in the fruits of his labour. His self celebration was cut short though, as a bright flash of light drew his attention to a rooftop opposite him.  
"So, you've finally shown yourself. Naruto." He chuckled, his eyes closed due to overflowing self confidence.  
"That's right. This ends here, Sasuke. You've caused enough pain as it is. I won't allow you to harm anyone else!" Naruto called back, his tone becoming gradually angrier as he spoke.  
Sasuke retaliated with another manic laugh,  
"You're already too late. Did you think I would risk all of my plans on one hasty attack? No, I've already begun to take care of your allies in the other villages. You're on your own now, there's nobody left to help you." He answered, opening his eyes again. The sight caused a chill to rush over Naruto. His eyes had always seemed dark, but now, they seemed to exude pure evil.  
"Then you'll pay for that too. I'll bring you down once and for all, not just for the Leaf, but for every other village and ninja you've harmed!" Naruto roared, his anger now getting the better of him.  
Sasuke slowly rose to his feet from his relaxed sitting position upon his rooftop, his menacing vision now fixed on his target,  
"Is that so? Well then, that's not waste anymore time. Prepare yourself, Naruto!"


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve – Destined Souls**

The sound of metal clashing against metal could be heard across the Leaf village as spent ninja tools cascaded from the rooftops. The source? Two ninja caught up in a heated battle, a battle that both vowed to win. One to save his village, his friends and his family. One bent upon destruction, revenge and pursuing his own desires.

Sasuke held a trio of shuriken between his fingers and launched them toward his target, a film of purple flame enveloping them as they glided through the air. Seeing the enhanced weapons, Naruto slammed his feet to the ground and launched himself in to the air to dodge them. Using his new vantage point, he launched his own attack. A clone appeared in a burst of smoke with a rasengan already in hand, quickly closing in on Sasuke across the buildings. The clone was struck down effortlessly by the Uchiha's chidori blade, the resulting cloud of smoke however acted as the perfect cover for Naruto's next attack. Just as soon as the clone had been destroyed, the real Naruto barged through the cloud left in its wake and slammed in to Sasuke full force with his own rasengan. The resulting upheaval of dust and rubble concealed the outcome of the attack, but a faint purple glow quickly gave the result. Sasuke stood encased in his Susanoo's ribcage, the rooftop around him shattered from the rasengan's impact,  
"Not bad, Naruto. But weak attacks like that won't stop me!" Sasuke's eerie voice rang out as one of his susanoo's arms appeared and swiped the Hokage across the top of the building. Naruto crashed against a wall with a heavy slam, a pained gasp escaping his throat on impact. He had fought Sasuke's susanoo before, but never had it felt this vicious. Regaining his composure, Naruto got back on his feet, staring down his former friend,  
"I didn't expect an attack like that to stop you. But eventually, I will!" Naruto called before disappearing in a flash, only to reappear behind Sasuke immediately. Wasting no time, Naruto slammed a larger, planetary rasengan in to the spine of the susanoo, forcing it against the demon like apparition until eventually its bone like structure cracked open.

A sudden explosion from one of the rooftops in the village drew the gaze of Hinata's Byakugan. Even with Naruto's clone there to guard her and relate any information on the battle, she insisted on keeping track of the fighting herself. Upon the destruction of Sasuke's susanoo, Hinata witnessed a huge explosion of chakra and debris. She knew that as long as the clone remained standing, Naruto would be doing okay, but she still couldn't put her mind at ease. She knew what Sasuke was capable of, and she knew he wouldn't hesitate to kill Naruto. The blonde ninja's clone could sense his wife's distress, and moved to comfort her,  
"Don't worry Hinata, you know I can handle Sasuke. And the others can deal with any of his followers, no problem!" the clone finished with a grin. This simple gesture being enough to settle Hinata, she returned to her seat at the window, content with just keeping an eye on the battle. For now at least.

The fighting between Naruto and Sasuke intensified with every blow or jutsu traded. Naruto had lured Sasuke to the edge of the village in an attempt to lessen civilian casualties and collateral damage, a plan that had worded well, considering Sasuke was fixated on ending Naruto's life at the moment. The Uchiha had begun to lose his patience though, his attacks seemingly doing nothing to hinder Naruto's combat ability,  
"Damn it, Naruto! Just stay still and die!" Sasuke breathed frantically as he shot a ball of his purple flame towards Naruto. The attack was yet again dodged though, and Sasuke slammed a fist in to a nearby wall out of frustration. Naruto however was still fixed on that last attack,  
"What the hell is that stuff anyway? That doesn't look like amaterasu." He asked quizzically.  
Sasuke gave a small smirk before answering the clueless ninja,  
"That's because it isn't. Surely you can't have missed my new eyes, Naruto?"  
He hadn't, they had been one of the first things Naruto had noticed about Sasuke. His eyes were different, no longer red but purple instead. As well as the flames he was conjuring.  
"With these new eyes, I have access to even greater power. This new form of amaterasu being one such example. Even the slightest contact will result in you being enveloped in the fire and snuffed out in an instant!" the deranged Uchiha laughed manically before sending a volley of his purple flames towards Naruto, as if to try and prove his point.  
"Well if I'm going to have to use more powerful jutsu…" trailed off Naruto as he formed a rasenshuriken and hurled it in to the oncoming flames. The result of the impact was an eruption of flame and wind, something Naruto had forgotten to take in to account as he extended a pair of arms moulded from Kurama's chakra and attempted to contain as much of the blast as possible. This gave Sasuke his opening though, and Naruto quickly found Sasuke's blade at his throat,  
"So, any last words, Naruto?"  
"Yes. Never give your opponent an opening." Naruto replied cockily as he formed another chakra fist and slammed it in to Sasuke's mask before the deranged ninja could even react. The impact sent Sasuke soaring across the roof the two were stood on, before he came to a stop slamming in to the wall of a taller building. As the dust settled, Naruto watched as the mask that hid Sasuke's damaged face crumbled away, his scarred and burnt face revealed to the world. Clambering to his feet after the shock of the blow, Sasuke glared down Naruto, a faint purple glow emitting from his body,  
"If that's how you want to play, then so be it, Naruto!" he roared as he dashed across the roof top back towards Naruto. The two met in the center, the newly formed fist of Sasuke's susanoo slamming in to Naruto's chakra fist, sending a shockwave ripping through the air. There was no let up in the conflict however, as Sasuke brought another of his susanoo's fists to strike against Naruto, the young Hokage deftly blocked the strike with his own chakra cloak though, and with a smirk disappeared in a flash of light before Sasuke's eyes.

Hinata still sat by the window in her and Naruto's home. Hands cradling her stomach containing their growing son. She throws a glance to Naruto's clone, which rests a hand on her shoulder for comfort. This battle won't end until one of them dies, she knew that from the start. But the longer the fighting drags on, the more difficult Hinata finds it to simply sit back and watch. The Hyuga has her thoughts interrupted however…by the arrival of one of Sasuke's ninja. Hinata immediately took up a defensive stance, ready to fight the man if needs be, but suddenly found her thoughts turned towards her unborn child. Meanwhile, the ninja drew closer,  
"So this is where you've been hiding? Lord Sasuke will reward me well for finding you." The ninja spoke, stepping in to the house. He was quickly stopped by Naruto's clone however, who had teleported behind the man and now rested his hand on his shoulder,  
"Actually, I think you'd better leave." The clone spoke menacingly as he threw the man outside the house and slammed a rasengan in to his stomach, sending him flying through the air and in to the village below. The clone's attention was quickly drawn by a new presence though, the feeling of a friend? As if to answer his question, Tsunade, Sakura and Shizune all jumped down in front of him, looking a little worn, but still able to fight.  
"Naruto? But aren't you…" Sakura started before Tsunade interrupted,  
"He's a clone Sakura." She started, clearing up her former apprentices confusion,  
"I imagine the real one is fighting Sasuke, I am I right?" she asked, turning back to the clone.  
"He is. He's trying to lure him out of the village, but Sasuke's putting up more of a fight than expected." answered the clone, sounding almost frustrated at his, or rather the real Naruto's struggle.

Sasuke roared in an almost feral tone, his growing anger fuelling his strength. A trail of destruction was left across the roof tops of the village as Naruto led Sasuke to the forest, while it had lessened the damage, there would be a lot to repair. The Hokage dodged another of Sasuke's attacks, spinning mid air to avoid the multiple air born fire balls. Sasuke wasn't done yet though, and he quickly dashed towards Naruto, his sword drawn and aimed for his enemy's heart. Naruto could see the attack, but had no time to dodge, he could only shift position. The sound of metal plunging in to flesh was music to Sasuke's ears, a spattering of blood flying from Naruto's body upon the blades impact and a wince and gasp slipped from the blonde ninja. Sasuke stood grinning manically,  
"Not a fatal hit, your dodge just good enough for me to miss it seems, but this will do…" he said barely containing his laughter as he twisted the blade in Naruto's shoulder.  
Naruto roared in pain as the cold metal slid further in to his flesh, ripping his shoulder apart slowly, Sasuke wasn't done yet though, and another manic grin sent Naruto's eyes wide. A sudden stream of chidori shot down the blade and in to Naruto's body, the lightning like chakra dancing on Naruto's skin as he writhed in pain,  
"T-this won't…Stop m-me!" he screamed, grabbing the sword as he began to slowly pull the blade from his body. Sasuke stood in shock as all of his strength seemed to mean nothing before Naruto's, the young ninja forcefully dragging the sword away from him, and with a sickening sound it slipped from his flesh. Grinning triumphantly, but with no small amount of pain, Naruto crushed the blade in his hand, shards of metal falling on the forest floor.  
"I-impossible…" Sasuke said, stunned by Naruto's resilience but angered even more. His face twisted with rage and he formed his chidori with his free hand, moving it towards Naruto with blinding speed. Naruto saw the attack coming though, and moved his own hand to intercept, rasengan at the ready. With a mighty clash the two ninja collided, dirt, leaves and even stone being blown away from the force of the impact.  
The air tingled with electricity, gusts of wind still blowing from the shockwave as Naruto and Sasuke stood, hands connected. Naruto held Sasuke's outstretched fingers in his fist tightly, almost crushing them,  
"I told you, Sasuke. I will beat you…" Spoke Naruto, his voice weak and his eyes half closed from pain and exhaustion. Sasuke was fairing no better though, his hand slowly being crushed, and his own eyes mirroring Naruto's,  
"You're deluding yourself, Naruto. It ends here…" replied the fallen ninja as he yanked his hand fingers from Naruto's vice like grip. The two of them allowed the other a brief moment to collect themselves, both wanting to allow the other to fight with everything they had. Resuming their fighting stances, they stared each other down yet again,  
"If it's going to end here, I'll make sure you fall…Or go down with me." Spoke Naruto firmly.  
Despite the intensity of the battle so far, it looked to be only getting worse…


End file.
